'Things escalated': Man on trial for manslaughter testifies he was only a witness to fatal beating, drugging
Meghan Grant | CBC News | Posted: March 19, 2025 10:53 PM | Last Updated: March 19
Remains of Keanan Crane, 22, found west of Calgary
WARNING: This story includes disturbing content.
A Calgary man on trial for manslaughter testified he was just a witness to the fatal beating, drugging and dismemberment of the victim.
Jason Tait also faces a charge of accessory after the fact to murder in the April 2022 death of 22-year-old Keanan Crane.
On Wednesday, Tait testified in his own defence, answering questions from his lawyer Adam Klassen.
Tait told jurors that in 2022, he was addicted to drugs — fentanyl and methamphetamine — and alcohol.
He lived in an upstairs rental unit in a home in the city's northeast with a roommate who had recently been released from jail.
CBC News is not naming the roommate as he goes on trial for murder next month in connection with Crane's death.
At the time of the killing, the victim owed money to Tait's drug-dealing roommate.
'He was telling them to stop'
Crane was a runner — a low level drug dealer — for the roommate and was in debt to him. Crane had recently lost the dealer's drug supply after it was confiscated when he was pulled over by police.
Tait told jurors that on the night of April 7, 2022, a group of people were at his home drinking and taking drugs.
Three more guests arrived, including the victim.
Tait said his roommate and Crane began arguing and "things escalated from there."
Several of the people in the home began kicking and punching Crane.
"Keanan was in the fetal position," said Tait. "He was telling them to stop."
Victim injected with fentanyl
Tait said he was sitting on his bed in the living room the whole time along with two others.
The group then began taping Crane's hands, feet, knees, head, eyes and mouth.
Next, they injected him with fentanyl.
"I couldn't see from where I was sitting but they were all crowded around him," said Tait.
After the group drugged the victim "they were all like… freaking out," Tait told jurors.
One of the women in the group "said we should chop him up."
'Surreal and creepy'
Tait then testified two people dragged Crane to the bathroom.
"It was creepy, just surreal and creepy."
Afterwards, a garbage can was brought into the flat and Tait said he assumed Crane's body was removed from the home.
Some of Crane's dismembered body parts were later found on the Mînî Thnî First Nation, formerly known as Morley.
Tait testified that he got high for a couple of days after the killing and then began to clean his flat.
He said he wiped up blood from his bathroom but that he "thought it would be a lot worse."
'Didn't want to be a rat'
Tait said he didn't go to police because he "didn't want to be a rat."
"A rat is considered like, you might a well be a sex offender… you might as well hide, no one will trust you, you might even get killed."
Tait was the target of an undercover police operation after the killing.
He told undercover officers (UCOs) that he played more of a role than what came out in testimony.
Of the killing, Tait told one UCO "we let the young guys do it" because "we had to teach him a lesson."
But in testimony, he said he had nothing to do with Crane's death.
When asked about the discrepancy, Tait told Klassen he was "just trying to be tough."
Undercover operation
The UCOs, who were posing as members of a criminal organization, were willing to pay "solid guys" for small tasks. Tait wanted to be one of those guys.
He said he wanted the easy money to support his drug habit.
When the undercover cops gave him money, Tait says he used it to feed his drug addiction.
In cross-examination, prosecutor Aleksandra Simić suggested Tait and his roommate were expecting Crane and that the dealer gave a nod to initiate the attack.
"You were riding shotgun and [your roommate] was calling the shots?" Simić suggested. Tait disagreed.
"You were doing [your roommate] a favour," said Simić.
Tait replied: "not at all."