Men in hoodies spotted on path where Chelsie Probert was found dying, court hears

A witness told a Halifax murder trial Wednesday that he saw two men who he believed were about to commit a robbery on the same path where ChelsieProbertwas later found dying that night.

Marshall Rising was testifying in youth courtat the second-degree murder trial of a 17-year-old boy accused of killing Probert, 18, in Dartmouth on June 6, 2017.

The accused, who cannot be identified because of his age, is being tried by judge alone. Throughout the day, he sat quietly next to his lawyers.

Risingtold the court he was on the path when he saw two men wearing sweatshirts with the hoods pulled up running toward his friend. Rising said it appeared as though themen were about to rob his friend so he called out, causingthe men to run away.

He testified one of the men was Jesse Palliser, a friend Probert was supposed to meet that night.

Probert's friend testifies

Palliser, who also testified Wednesday,told the court he and Probert had been Facebook friends for about a year or twobut only met for the first time two weeks before her death.

He said Probert told him that she was arguing with her mother and had been kicked out. She was on her way to his home on Clarence Street on the day she died, Palliser said.

They were supposed to meet at abus stop, but there was confusion and he went to another one.

After he texted "LOL OMW" or "on my way" he never heard from Probert again.

The court was shown Halifax Transit surveillance video showing Probert getting off a bus.

Victim's father leaves courtroom

Probert's father left the courtroom Wednesday as a paramedic described how he tried to save her life.

Advanced care paramedic Alex Frank told the court he responded to a medical distress call on the path, which was just a two-minute drive from the paramedic station.

He found Probert and said she was pale and grey, not breathing and had no pulse.

There was a bystander performing CPR on Probert and Frank took over, cutting off her top to put defibrillator pads on her.

He found a puncture wound on the left side of her chest.

Frank said he tried but wasn't able to determine what caused Probert to go into medical distress, so within minutes she was placed in an ambulance and intubated to help her breathe.

But Frank said he wasn't able to restore her pulse.

A forensic identification officer testified she seized evidence from three different addresses. A folding knife and a corkscrew bent at a right angle were entered in as evidence.

Testimony resumes Thursday.

The trial is expected to wrap up next week.

CBCreporter Elizabeth Chiuwastweeting from the courtroom. Follow the updates below or click here if you're reading on a mobile device.