Appeal Court rules against triple murderer

An Appeal Court has refused to throw out one of the convictions against an Alberta man who was found guilty of killing a father and his two-year-old daughter as well as a senior five years ago.

Derek Saretzky's lawyer argued his client's first-degree murder conviction in the death of Hanne Meketech in 2015 should be overturned because Saretzky's rights were breached when police improperly took his confession.

The three-justice panel unanimously dismissed the appeal.

Saretzky was also convicted of first-degree murder in the slayings of Terry Blanchette and Blanchette's two-year-old daughter Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette.

The three-justice panel unanimously dismissed the appeal.

Saretzky was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences meaning he is ineligible for parole until he has served 75 years in prison.

The three were all murdered in September 2015 in the Crowsnest Pass area of southwestern Alberta.

The Court of Appeal still has to schedule and hear an appeal of Saretzky's sentence.