Loved ones want justice: Two years later, nobody is charged in these sisters' deaths

Family and friends of two sisters, Tiffany Ear and Glynnis Fox, from Stoney Nakoda First Nation, gathered in the lobby of Calgary's courthouse on Monday to honour their memories and demand justice.

While two people are on trial right now and charged with accessory to murder after the fact, nobody has been charged in the siblings' deaths.

Tewodros Mutugeta Kebede, 27, and Yu Chieh Liao, 27, are each charged with first-degree murder in the death of Hanock Afowerk, 26, but are charged only with accessory to murder after the fact for the deaths of Ear, 39, and Fox, 36.

In the quadruple murder, Afowerk was kidnapped, held for ransom, tortured and shot.

Ear, Fox and a man, Cody Pfeiffer, were fatally shot "to eliminate witnesses," according to Crown prosecutors during the first-degree murder trial.

Liao has pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the killings of Pfeiffer, Ear and Fox, and Kebede has pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the slaying of Pfeiffer, whom the jury heard was present when Afowerk was killed and his body dumped.

The remains of Pfeiffer, Ear and Fox were found on July 10, 2017, in a burned-out Chevy Cruze belonging to Afowerk, at a suburban Calgary construction site.

"We wanted to know how they died. They won't disclose it because they're on trial," said Cynthia Hunter, the sisters' aunt.

"It was a horrible death and our community can't get over it."

Hunter said the family is requesting more people come forward if they know of any information about what happened to the sisters — because she believes someone out there has answers.

"They were executed, and as a native woman standing here, I have no way to express my feelings but to cry. We waited two years and we never got the justice that we need to move on," said Hunter.

Together, Ear and Fox left behind 16 children.

Ear's first-born son, Kane Lightning, 24, said he's hoping for justice.

"It's hard to wake up every day and remind ourselves that they're gone," Lightning said.

He said that while he's angry, he doesn't see this as the time for anger.

"I've been telling most of my siblings and everybody [to] move forward. You know, go to school, finish. It's what our parents would want, to at least succeed in life."

The prosecution is expected to close its case on Tuesday.