UPDATE:
VANCOUVER - Former Oscar nominee Randy Quaid and his wife appeared Friday at an immigration hearing in Vancouver that was highlighted by claims of refugee status, health problems, and a secret plot to kill Hollywood celebrities.
The Quaids were taken into custody in an affluent Vancouver neighbourhood on Thursday.
A California judge had issued warrants for their arrest a few days earlier after the couple failed to show up for a court hearing on felony vandalism charges.
Their first appearance before the Immigration and Refugee Board turned into a bizarre spectacle, complete with outrageous claims, solemn promises, and their eventual release from custody.
Evi Quaid said friends such as actors David Carradine and Heath Ledger have been "murdered" under mysterious circumstances and she and her husband fear they're next on the hit list.
"We feel our lives are in danger," she said, dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and skirt.
"Randy has known eight close friends murdered in odd, strange manners ... We feel that we're next."
Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for his lead role in the movie "Brokeback Mountain." He died in January, 2008 from an accidental overdose.
Carradine was star of the hit 1970s television series "Kung Fu" and also had a movie career before he hanged himself in Thailand last year. He was 72.
At one point, Brian Tsuji, lawyer for the Quaids, held up a statement written by his clients. Scribbled on a piece of paper was: "Yes, we are requesting asylum from Hollywood star-whackers."
Tsuji started the proceedings by saying his clients had made refugee claims.
Randy Quaid, sporting a blue buttoned shirt, grey pants, and black-rimmed glasses, said he loves Canada and had hoped to further his career in the Great White North.
"It's been a very welcoming nation to me. I would not do anything to besmirch my reputation," he told refugee board adjudicator Daphne Shaw-Dyck.
Evi Quaid, who at times had her own counsel trying to silence her, said she and her husband needed to be released for a number of reasons.
First, she said her blood pressure had reached such a level that one nurse told her she might have a stroke.
Next, she said the news of their arrests had led to Randy Quaid's mother being hospitalized.
Evi Quaid went on to say that she was distressed her puppy, who had been travelling with the couple, was being held in a shelter. She teared up at times during the proceedings.
Randy Quaid, 60, was more restrained in his comments to Shaw-Dyck.
He said it was an honest mistake that the couple left the U.S. the day before the arrest warrants were issued, adding they travelled to Vancouver to pick up a Vancouver critics award he won last year.
He and Evi Quaid also asked for an adjournment to the proceedings so they could adequately prepare their case.
The Quaids were ordered released from custody, but must each post a $10,000 bond on a promise to attend their next hearing on Thursday.
The atmosphere inside the downtown Vancouver building was circus-like.
Photographers and camera operators jockeyed for position within a narrow hallway, outside the room where the proceedings were being held.
When the Quaids walked out and headed for the elevator, they were surrounded. Evi Quaid repeated her claims that Hollywood was killing stars, while Randy Quaid again professed his desire for Canada.
Vancouver police say they encountered the pair after responding to a call for assistance and a check revealed the couple was wanted on outstanding U.S. warrants.
Police would not elaborate on exactly how they came to be in contact with the Quaids. The pair are not wanted for any crimes in Canada, but were taken into custody by the Canada Border Services Agency on Thursday afternoon.
Friday's hearing was mandatory to determine if their detention should continue. Authorities argued they posed a flight risk and should remain in jail.
Quaid and his wife face felony vandalism charges after more than $5,000 in damage was done to a guest house of a Montecito, Calif. home they previously owned.
The Quaids frequently missed court appearances in an earlier case involving charges they defrauded an innkeeper. That case was resolved in April with Evi Quaid pleading no contest to a misdemeanour count. The charges against her husband were dropped.
On Friday, the Quaids promised to appear for their next hearing. Evi Quaid also said she'd be willing to wear an ankle bracelet while staying at a posh Vancouver hotel.
Shaw-Dyck didn't order the anklets, but in addition to the bond, she ordered the couple to confirm their departure with border officials if they plan to leave Canada.
"I believe these terms are sufficiently stringent," she said.
Randy Quaid is best-known for supporting roles in films such as "Independence Day,'' "National Lampoon's Vacation'' and "Brokeback Mountain." He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in "The Last Detail."
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/101022/entertainment/quaid_arrested