Denecho King's quest to continue partying in the early hours of Dec.14, 2014 led him to a Yellowknife apartment where he SA国际影视传媒渧iciouslySA国际影视传媒� attacked two best friends, the Crown prosecutor told the court Friday during closing arguments after a four-week murder trial.
SA国际影视传媒淥n that night, King wanted to party,SA国际影视传媒� said prosecutor Alex Godfrey.
Godfrey, revisiting trial evidence and witness testimony that mapped the movements of King on that fateful December night, said the accused SA国际影视传媒� on trial for second degree murder and attempted murder SA国际影视传媒� bounced from one party to another in a violent and alcohol-fueled night that began at Fort Gary apartments and ended at the Northern Lites motel.
SA国际影视传媒淗e partied, he threw a chair, he broke a window and he assaulted a woman in a cab. By 4 a.m., he's at Sunridge Place SA国际影视传媒� banging on doors. He ends up at (Colin) Digness' unit,SA国际影视传媒� said Godfrey.
Digness, along with his longtime friend John Wifladt, were found lying bloodied and barely breathing near two ornamental swords in a third floor Sunridge Place apartment unit SA国际影视传媒� less than half an hour after a witness testified King had knocked on the door of her apartment, located one floor below Digness.
Wifladt later died, while Digness survived, sustaining life-altering injuries as a result of the attack.
King's presence at the scene of the crime is known, Godfrey said, because a SA国际影视传媒渟urprisingly significantSA国际影视传媒� amount of his DNA was found on the handles of both swords SA国际影视传媒� the weapons used to kill Wifladt and seriously injure Digness. SA国际影视传媒淗e handled the sword during the murder,SA国际影视传媒� said Godfrey.
The DNA of Digness and Wifladt were located on the blades of the swords.
SA国际影视传媒淎nd what does (King) do after he left them for dead? He continues to look for a party at Northern Lites motel. He brags about the attack. He acts it out. He's proud. He's excited,SA国际影视传媒� Godfrey said.
SA国际影视传媒淭hat's the night of the man who ruthlessly attacked two childhood friends. The night of the killer.SA国际影视传媒�
After summarizing the Crown's case against King SA国际影视传媒� based on circumstantial evidence drawn from 37 witnesses and 54 exhibits over 20 days SA国际影视传媒� the prosecutor focused on key testimony previously challenged by King's lawyer, Jay Bran.
Citing expert testimony from Kenneth Hunter who took the stand last week, Godfrey maintained King's DNA made its way onto the swords through direct contact, calling Bran's suggestion it could have been transferred indirectly as a result of careless crime scene handling, or by the victims themselves, SA国际影视传媒渟eemingly impossible."
For Bran's scenario to be plausible, Godfrey said one hundred people would have had to touch the sword with King's DNA to add up to the amount observed.
SA国际影视传媒淭he whole science of DNA would have to be rejected,SA国际影视传媒� Godfrey said, adding. SA国际影视传媒渨e don't know why or what exactly happened in the unit, but we do know what happened. The only one rational conclusion is that King is the killer.SA国际影视传媒�
Bran, standing to make his final arguments before Justice Andrew Mahar in a packed courtroom, presented a starkly different version of what happened on Dec.14, 2014 SA国际影视传媒� one he said wouldn't require the court to make inferences, unlike the Crown's submissions.
King's lawyer pins blame on survivor, suggesting play fight turned deadly
SA国际影视传媒淪ometimes the answer to a problem is the most simple of explanations,SA国际影视传媒� said Bran.
After a night of drinking, Bran suggested, an intoxicated Digness and Wifladt arrived at Sunridge Place apartments. SA国际影视传媒淭hey were angry, upset. They wanted to party more,SA国际影视传媒� said Bran, pointing to previous testimony from the cab driver who dropped the pair off. The driver testified the two friends were laughing and arguing in the taxi, and that he feared Wifladt was becoming aggressive.
SA国际影视传媒淭hey arrive. Maybe they're still arguing like they were in the cab. Something happens. Maybe Digness grabs the sword, starts swinging.SA国际影视传媒�
What could have began as play fighting took a serious turn, Bran said SA国际影视传媒� worsened by the pair's intoxication which removed SA国际影视传媒渃are and caution from the equation.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭heir aim could be off,SA国际影视传媒� said Bran, before likening the scenario to an impaired driving wreck.
SA国际影视传媒淏ut instead of crashing cars, they're crashing swords into bodies.SA国际影视传媒�
Throughout the trial, Bran hovered around the idea that Digness and Wifladt could have gotten carried away while playing with the swords, injuring each other in the process. In his closing arguments, Bran doubled down on the theory.
SA国际影视传媒淚n my respectful submission, the person responsible was in this courtroom SA国际影视传媒� and it's Colin Digness,SA国际影视传媒� said Bran, adding Wifladt could have been partly responsible for the SA国际影视传媒渢ragedy,SA国际影视传媒� but that he SA国际影视传媒渋sn't here to answer for it. Digness is.SA国际影视传媒�
Digness, who testified in the early stages of the trial, said he had no memory of the attack, but balked at the idea it could have been carried out by him and his best friend.
SA国际影视传媒淔riends got carried away and we know what the results were,SA国际影视传媒� Bran said. SA国际影视传媒淜ing simply didn't do it.SA国际影视传媒�
To consider Bran's scenario, Godfrey said the court would have to accept that SA国际影视传媒渢wo best friends, who only bickered over hockey and video games, would then decide to fight to the death, transferring an unbelievable amount of King's DNA in the process.SA国际影视传媒�
Bran, who, throughout the trial, routinely questioned the steps law enforcement took to prevent crime scene SA国际影视传媒渃ontamination,SA国际影视传媒� again asked the court to consider the way evidence was handled, focusing on the swords being moved not long after the bloody discovery was made.
While the first officer to arrive at the scene testified he moved one sword as a way of ensuring safety in a still-fluid situation, two crime scene photos showed the swords to be in two different positions SA国际影视传媒� movements witness Sgt. Brandon Humbke admitted were SA国际影视传媒渦nexplained,SA国际影视传媒� under cross-examination.
Bran characterized the unexplained shift as more carelessness from first responders, who initially didn't wear foot protection as they worked in the unit.
After calling a number of the Crown's witnesses unreliable and not credible SA国际影视传媒� particularly a witness who said King had told him he'd SA国际影视传媒渒illed two people,SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� Bran focused on the lack of physical evidence pinning King to the crimes.
Bran conceded to King's DNA being on the swords, but asked Mahar to consider how, when, and by whom and in what manner it got there.
SA国际影视传媒淣o fingerprints, nothing physical except for DNA SA国际影视传媒� and there's so many ways it could have gotten into the unit,SA国际影视传媒� Bran said.
Bran had suggested King, who was injured after cutting himself at Fort Gary apartments earlier in the night, could have left blood at the apartment complex when knocking on the second floor door SA国际影视传媒� blood that could have been unwittingly collected and transferred at the crime scene.
It's up to the Crown to convince Mahar that King is guilty of the crimes he's charged with beyond a reasonable doubt. From dayone, the Crown said no motive would be provided, and that their case would rely on circumstantial evidence.
If found guilty, King faces a minimum of 10 years in prison.
Mahar is expected to make a decision on July 6.
