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It was a cold Monday morning on March 29, 2021, when Trina Hunt’s remains were discovered near Hope.
More than five years later, a bombshell development.
“Honestly, a complete state of disbelief,” Stephanie Ibbott, Trina Hunt’s cousin-in-law, said.
“It makes no sense.”
The Attorney General of Canada filed an application in federal court in Ottawa last month under subsection 38.04 (1) of the Canada Evidence Act, seeking to withhold “sensitive” information in the case against Trina’s husband — Iain Hunt — because, if revealed, it would threaten national security.
“It is extremely rare,” Michel Juneau Katsuya, a former CSIS intelligence officer, told Global News.
“Obviously here, somebody wants to protect some sensitive information that individuals, somewhere, somehow, represent a risk to the federal government.”
Iain Hunt was charged in February 2025 with one count of indignity to human remains for allegedly disposing of his wife’s body, two days before he reported her missing from Port Moody in January 2021.
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No one has been charged with the 48-year-old’s death.
Nine months after Iain was charged, an unidentified person notified the Attorney General of Canada “that they believe sensitive or potentially harmful (injurious) information may be disclosed…” in connection with the case against Iain.
A month later in December 2025, the Attorney General of Canada refused to authorize the release of the secret content, stating… “Disclosure of the information in question would be injurious to national security.” (Source: Attorney General of Canada, Federal Court Application, filed March 2026)
“Certainly never seen it in this kind of case,” Patrick McCann said.
He is part of a special group of Canadian lawyers with top secret security clearance for national security proceedings.
In more than 40 years in criminal law, McCann has only been involved in two section 38 applications.
“Defence may not know what the rationale is for withholding it is,” he said.
“They would know what they are looking for, but they would not know the context that created the national security issue. They may; they may not.”
A spy, confidential informant, or sensitive technology are all examples of what can be captured in a rare section 38 application, which is specifically invoked to protect information that could harm: national security, national defence, or international relations if the content is disclosed in court.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Rob Dhanu, K.C., a criminal lawyer and former Crown prosecutor, said.
“Ultimately, if a judge decides that our national security interests are at stake, it could lead to a stay of proceedings.”
Trina’s family and the public are in the dark about when the confidential hearing will take place. The Department of Justice will only say a date has not been confirmed.
“We’re nowhere close to justice and yet there’s the potential that the whole case, so far, as we know it, could get thrown out, so honestly, where’s the accountability?” Ibbott said.
Iain Hunt is not in custody. His lawyer, Greg Delbigio, has declined to comment because the case is before the courts.
Iain’s provincial court trial on one count of indignity to human remains is set for October 2027, but this is hinging on the outcome of the national security application in federal court.
–with files from Rumina Daya / Global News
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
