Edmonton's ex-police chief spoke publicly for the first time this weekend about his son, Mark Lindsay, who is on trial in Kamloops for aggravated assault of a cellmate and an undercover police officer while also facing second degree murder charges in Alberta in the death of his ex-girlfriend.

On Thursday, Lindsay admitted in court that he killed is ex-girlfriend and assaulted an undercover officer and a fellow inmate, claiming self-defence and fears of a serial killer.

On Friday, John Lindsay, now a deacon with the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton, and his wife Louise issued a statement through the archdiocese publicly addressing their son's charges for the first time.

"We are very greatly saddened by the profound pain of all who have suffered in the events described this week in Kamloops," reads the statement. "This reality remains with us day and night, and continues to be an ever present experience and grief that is also shared deeply in our own family."

They say they love their son and pray for him, and only illness prevented the couple from being in Kamloops for the trial.

They ask for prayers for Mark Lindsay's ex-girlfriend Dana Turner, her mother and family as well as "everyone else affected by what has happened." They also ask for prayers for their son and their family.

Turner was 31 years old when she was last seen on Aug. 14, 2011. Her body was found two months later outside Innisfail, Alta.

Mark Lindsay testified on Wednesday that for the past three years he has been terrorized by serial killers who repeatedly threatened to kill him.

He testified he killed his ex-girlfriend in Alberta and later attempted to kill an undercover police officer in Barriere thinking they, too, were going to kill him.

He denied that he suffers from a mental disorder.

After Mark Lindsay's admission in court, Justice Dev Dley approved a Crown application for a psychiatric evaluation to be concluded on Sept. 14.

Lindsay, who is being held in custody at KRCC, returns to court Tuesday on another aggravated assault charge.

The charge arises from an incident last fall at Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre where he stabbed his cellmate in the eye with a pencil causing the victim permanent blindness in one eye. He testified he believed his cellmate intended to kill him.