Ryan Lane murder trial hears accused sold truck with victim's DNA to scrap yard for $128

One of the three people accused of killing Ryan Laneinsisted his truckbe sold to a scrap yard despitebeing offered a lot more, a Calgary murder trial heard Friday.

Crown prosecutor TomBuglassaid in hisopening address to the jury thatWilhelmRempel'struck hadthe Calgary father'sDNA inside.

• MORE CRIME NEWS |Return to sender: heroin worth $600K mistakenly sent to Calgary convenience store
• MORE CRIME NEWS |Trial for Alberta parents whose toddler died from meningitis resumes after lawyers' dispute

His brother,TimRempel, is married to Sheena Cuthillwho the court heard was in a custody dispute with the victim over their daughter. All three of them are facing first-degree murder charges.

Andrew Knox, who worked at the Rainbow Salvage Yard, testified Friday that he tried to buy thetruck for nearly four times the scrap value.WilhelmRempelwas instead paid $128 for the truck, and turned down Knox's offer of $500.

He hadbrought the truck into Rainbow Salvage on Feb. 8, 2012the day after he was seen on video surveillance washing the inside and outside of the vehicleat a local carwash.

KnoxsaidWilhelmRempelwent on about problems with the truck despite it appearing to be in good shape.

"It seemed to be running pretty fine."

Knox said he spoke to the owners of Rainbow about buying the truck but it never happened.

"The bosses thought it was a mechanically sound truck and wanted to keep it for themselves."

Alberta Justice mediatortestifies

The court also heard thatLane was "very sad"and desperately wanted to spend time with his daughter,a mediator with Alberta Justice testified Friday.

The extent that he was sad was uncommon to me.- Joanne McKay, Alberta Justice mediator

Joanne McKaymediated custody issues between Lane andCuthillthe month before his disappearance.

The former couple each met with McKay for an hour in January 2012 and then the three had a session together at the end of the monthto negotiate child support and visitation rights.

"[Lane]very much wanted to establish that relationship," said McKay. "He expressed many times how much he missed the child."

After their first session, Cuthill agreed to suspend the child support order until they worked out visitation rights.

Under cross examination, McKay told the jury that Cuthill had been a willing participant in the process.

"It went well, there was no hostility," said McKay. "They made some progress."

'Just wanted regular access'

But Lane appeared depressed to McKay.

"Ryan was very sad, but he was engaged in the process and committed to re-establishing that relationship," said McKay. "The extent that he was sad was uncommon to me."

It was agreed Cuthill would have custody of the girl.

"Ryan was not interested in custody as such," said McKay. "He just wanted regular access to his child."

It's alleged theRempelbrothers called Lane before midnight, and lured him to a parking lot. He got in Wilhelm'struck and was drivenaway,Tim following in his red Jeep, according to the prosecution.

DNA from Lane was found in both vehicles, said the Crown, thoughthe brothers both denied ever having met Lanein their first interview with police.

A burn barrel was found several months after Lane's disappearance with human remains in it, as well as Lane's class ring and pieces of his cellphone.

The trial resumes on Monday.