A trial date has been set for an inmate charged with murder after an assault in January 2022.
Defence for Ashley Baird, Hugh Sommerville appeared in Alberta Court of Justice in Drumheller on Friday, May 12.
This was a procedural appearance to make sure process was transferred to the Court of King’s Bench, where Baird was arraigned the previous day.
The charges arise from an incident on January, 26, 2022, at approximately 8:40 p.m., where Drumheller RCMP responded to a serious assault at the Drumheller Institution.
The assault on 34-year-old Jeffrey Ryan of Parkland County, Alberta, by Ashley Baird, 38, of Nanaimo, B.C., was allegedly unprovoked.
Jeffrey Ryan sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital where he died.
Baird was charged with second-degree murder. A trial date for Baird was set for May 27, 2024.

Drumheller RCMP have announced its finalized policing priorities for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
The priorities were established after much consultation, including with elected officials, partners, the general public, committees, and after holding Town Hall Meetings and running a public survey.
“The purpose of establishing policing priorities is to ensure that our detachment is focusing on current and local policing issues that matter, are relevant, and important to the community,” says Drumheller RCMP Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Rob Harms. “The priorities are supported by our statistical data, officer observations, and equally important are supported by the many people, partners, and officials (who) offered input.”
A total of four priorities were outlined, as well as initiatives to address each priority.
Crime reduction, with a focus on property crime, is the first priority laid out, with initiatives on compliance checks on prolific and repeat offenders, fraud awareness presentations with partners focusing on vulnerable community members, proactive initiatives on property crime, and Operation Street Sweep and Crime and Traffic Suppression shifts.
Public engagement, transparency and visibility was the second priority, and will focus on town hall meetings, media releases for transparency, red serge and public appearances, including with partners, and public engagement through Mocha with a Mountie.
Reducing substance abuse, with a focus on drugs, has been an ongoing priority, and RCMP will focus on drug enforcement operations, drug training for members, and presentations to youth and other focus groups on drug awareness.
The final priority is to enhance road and traffic safety through traffic interventions and enforcement, conducting impaired driver interventions and enforcement, and Alberta Checkstop operations with partners.
S/Sgt Harms adds he is happy to see the Drumheller RCMP already addressing the priorities as the fiscal year began on April 1.