BANFF – A Harvie Heights man facing criminal charges of distributing, possessing, and accessing child pornography, has died after being struck by a semi-trailer on the Trans-Canada Highway near Banff.
Mark Troy Burnett, 51, who was an associate professor at Calgary’s Mount Royal University, was arrested on April 20 following an investigation by the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE).
Banff RCMP have confirmed it was Burnett who died when he was struck by a semi-trailer at about 5:11 p.m. on Monday (May 29) on the Trans-Canada Highway near the intersection with Banff Avenue. He died at the scene.
“Evidence suggests it does look like he died by suicide,” said Sgt. Natalie Rice, a supervisor and investigator at Banff RCMP detachment, adding next of kin has been notified.
Burnett leaves behind a wife and two school-aged children.
An ALERT spokesperson said Canmore RCMP helped with the raid on Burnett’s home, where a number of computers and electronic devices were seized for forensic analysis.
“Preliminary forensic preview identified more than 35,000 child sexual abuse photos and/or videos,” said Michael Tucker, ALERT”s strategy and communications director in an email earlier on Monday.
“The 51-year-old man was charged with distribution, possessing, and accessing child pornography.”
No plea was entered when the matter was initially before Canmore Provincial Court on May 10. The case was to come back to Canmore court on June 7.
According to Burnett’s profile on Mount Royal University’s website, which has since been removed, Burnett moved to the Canadian Rockies after earning a doctorate in geography from UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) in 2005.
Having studied economics and environmental studies as an undergraduate at UCSB (University of California Santa Barbara), he moved into the geography field and is currently an associate professor of geography in the department of earth and environmental sciences at Mount Royal University.
In terms of research, Burnett published numerous articles and essays on topics such as China’s One Child Policy; the Conflict in Kashmir; Post-socialist transformation in East Central Europe; and Canadian Sovereignty in the Northwest Passage.
His university profile indicated he taught a wilderness field school in Banff National Park in summer in order to study wildlife corridors and issues of biogeographical connectivity in one of the most heavily visited world heritage sites and national parks in the world.
Police say the investigation into the highway incident continues, noting the RCMP collision reconstructionist attended the scene, but that no more updates would be provided.
Traffic had been diverted off the highway through the townsite on Monday but reopened around midnight.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the deceased’s family and friends,” said Cpl. Gina Slaney, the RCMP’s public information officer for Southern Alberta.
