Family and friends of Tregan Crow Eagle sat in silence, holding back tears in the courtroom Tuesday as the judge-alone trial for the man accused in his death got underway.
Dustin Big Bull has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and causing an indignity to human remains.
The crown read an agreed statement of facts, stating Crow Eagle was reported missing to Piikani Nation RCMP by a family member on July 23, 2020 after he was last seen the day before.
Four days after he was reported missing, the 16-year-old’s body was found wrapped in a tarp in a thicket near Brocket, Alta.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death was multiple sharp-force injuries.
Three months after Crow Eagle’s body was discovered, Big Bull was arrested and charged in connection to the teenager’s death.
The crown plans to call multiple civilian witnesses and law enforcement officers involved in the investigation, followed by the medical examiner and a DNA expert later in the trial.
The defence will then present its case.
On Tuesday, Justice Johanna Price issued warrants for three civilian witnesses who failed to appear, including Big Bull’s girlfriend at the time of the alleged murder.
Witness testimony is expected to begin on Wednesday and the trial is scheduled to last four weeks.
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