EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated on Feb. 24, 2017 because a jury trial had begun.
Nearly three years after two men died and four others were injured in a stabbing spree at a west Edmonton warehouse, the trial began Tuesday for the man charged in connection to the deadly attack.
Jayme Pasieka is standing trial on two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in connection with the deadly Feb. 28, 2014 knife attacks at the Loblaw warehouse.
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On the opening day of the trial, the Crown prosecutor told the jury this will not be a “who done it” case. She said the evidence is pretty clear Pasieka is responsible for the deadly attack.
Multiple warehouse co-workers recognized and identified the accused. There is reportedly surveillance video of the rampage and DNA evidence of the victims on the knives found next to Pasieka when he was arrested in his vehicle.
The Crown said the question is whether the killings were planned and deliberate and therefore first-degree murder. The Crown prosecutor told the jury she believes it was.
There’s evidence of Pasieka purchasing knives before the killings and the attacker was wearing what appeared to be body armour when he entered the warehouse.
The Crown said the attacker planned to kill anyone and everyone who he encountered in the warehouse.
Fitzroy Harris, 50, and Thierno Bah, 41, were the two men killed in the attack after a man walked into the workplace armed with two knives, Edmonton police said.
The suspect fled the scene and a massive manhunt ensued. Pasieka, who was 29 years old at the time, was arrested and taken into custody in the area of 39 Street and 74 Avenue.
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The trial is scheduled to take two weeks.
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