No verdict has been reached in the first-degree murder trial for three men accused of killing 54-year-old Shawn Douglas.
Early Thursday morning, the jury requested to hear testimony from two female witnesses who placed Johnathon Peepeetch, Dennis Thompson and Joshua Wilson at the scene of Douglas’ murder.
The women’s identities are under a publication ban. On the stand, the women testified to seeing the three accused lead Douglas into bush. They did not return with him, court heard.
Crown and defence counsel collectively trimmed down more than ten hours of testimony into less than an hour. That 48 minutes of testimony was played for the jury in court.
In the prisoner’s box, the three accused displayed little emotion. On the opposite end, several jurors jotted down notes as they listened to a replay of the testimony.
Late Thursday afternoon, the jury returned with another question, asking Justice Janet McMurtry, “Would you please go over the decision tree?”.
The decision tree is a support tool that uses a flow chart. Each answer will lead them to a specific verdict.
There are four possible verdicts they can render for each of the three accused:
- Guilty of first-degree murder
- Not guilty of first-degree murder
- Not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of lesser offence of second-degree murder
- Not guilty of first-degree murder but guilty of lesser offence of manslaughter
A first-degree murder guilty verdict carries an automatic life sentence of 25 years.
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