Ex-Calgary pastor charged with murder of three-month-old son
Posted May 12, 2017 8:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (NEWS 1130) – A few weeks after Calgary police deemed a baby boy’s death in 2015 a homicide, the infant’s father has now been charged with second-degree murder.
Thirty-one-year-old Daniel Nel is accused of killing his son Cyrus, who was found in medical distress at their Taradale home on August 31, 2015 and he died the next day, with investigators believing he suffered his injuries in the home.
CPS Insp. Don Coleman said last month that somebody knew something and that his parents hadn’t given a plausible explanation for the boy’s injuries.
“Nothing’s really changed,” Coleman said after news of the charge. “It takes just time to put the information together; there’s some judicial constraints we’re faced with.
“We try to make sure that the investigation is complete as possible prior to charges, so that was really, there was no thing that tipped the scale to charges.”
Nel served as a pastor at the Rockyview Alliance Church and was put on administrative leave when the death was deemed a homicide.
In a statement, the Western Canadian District (Alberta) of the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada said Nel has been suspended.
“Because of this development and the gravity of the charge, Dan will no longer be able to perform ministry duties for the foreseeable future and therefore on May 12 we suspended his license to act as a minister,” the statement said.
When news of Cyrus’ death first came out, Daniel and mother Leah Nel posted blogs about losing their only child, sparking an outpouring of support from the congregation.
Police have not released the specific details of the baby’s injuries and Coleman said they’re not looking for any other suspects.
“There’s been various degrees of participation in this and the mother hasn’t really been a factor in this investigation,” he said.
Nel will appear in court on May 24.
