First RCMP officers on scene testify in Fort Good Hope murder trial

The first police officers to arrive at the scene of a fatal stabbing in Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., testified in the territory's Supreme Court on Monday.

They were among the first witnesses in the judge-alone trial of Colten McNeely, who is accused of murdering 28-year-old Lloyd Edgi during the early morning hours of Sept. 3, 2017. McNeely is charged with second-degree murder.

During their testimony, McNeely, dressed in a grey collared shirt and dress pants, sat beside his lawyer, listening carefully.

Const. Brendan Barton testified he was the officer on call in Fort Good Hope that morning. He said that at about 3:45 a.m., he got a call about intoxicated people in someone's backyard.

Barton called a fellow officer, Const. Christopher Prospero, and left to pick him up to respond to the call.

"As I arrived at Const. Prospero's house, I was told there was an additional complaint from Colten McNeely, saying he had been in an altercation," testified Barton.

Barton said as they arrived at the house where the intoxicated people were supposed to be, a frantic woman came running out screaming for help. They followed her to the backyard, where they found Edgi on his back with his jacket unzipped.

"His shirt was pulled up," said Barton. "There was a large laceration in his chest and puncture wounds on the side of his chest. He had a lot of blood all over him. He was not moving, not breathing."

Prospero said he checked for a pulse and could not find one. He said he put his ear to the victim's mouth and heard no breathing.

Knife found

Barton and Prospero called for medical help. Barton said it was difficult for them to administer aid in those first moments because they weren't sure where the attacker was and if the scene was safe. Two nurses arrived and, shortly after, declared Edgidead.

Barton and Prospero found a knife on the ground about three metres away, court was told.

They took statements from witnesses who will be testifying later in the trial, and they covered Edgi's body with a tarp and taped off the crime scene for Major Crimes Section investigators who had been dispatched from Yellowknife.

Prospero said later that morning, atabout 10:30 a.m., he went to the detachment with the commander of the Fort Good Hope RCMP. The RCMP call centre in Yellowknife had advised that McNeely, who was by then a suspect, was coming in to the detachment.

Prospero arrested and photographed McNeely. He said apart from some minor scrapes on his hands and legs he had no signs of injury. McNeely said he wanted to talk to a lawyer. Police seized his clothing, belt, boots and cellphone.

The trial is expected to continue for two weeks. The prosecutors say they are planning to call16 witnesses.