2nd-degree murder trial begins in death of man found lying in snow on Aberdeen
Christopher Brass has pleaded not guilty to killing Bryer Prysiazniuk-Settee in 2017
Bryer Prysiazniuk-Settee's mother sobbed under her breath Monday morning as details about her son's 2017 death were read out in a Winnipeg courtroom.
The 24-year-old was found lying in the snow on Aberdeen Avenue at 10 a.m. on Feb. 8.
Christopher Brass is charged with second-degree murder in connection with Prysiazniuk-Settee's death.
Brass has pleaded not guilty and his case is being heard in the Court of Queen's Bench before Justice Vic Toews and a jury of seven women and five men.
Court heard Prysiazniuk-Settee went to a second-floor suite at 270 Powers Avenue to buy drugs, believed to be meth.
Crown counsel Minh Nguyen said as he was leaving the suite, Prysiazniuk-Settee said "I should slit his throat," referring to Brass, who was sleeping at the time.
Nguyen said Brass's girlfriend woke him up and he pulled out his gun and shot Prysiazniuk-Settee.
Prysiazniuk-Settee was found on Aberdeen a short time later and pronounced dead in hospital.
Const. Jason Dee, a member of the Winnipeg Police Service identification unit who was the first person to testify, said he went to the hospital to gather Prysiazniuk-Settee's belongings and photographed and collected evidence around Aberdeen Avenue.
He told the court there was no blood trail between where Prysiazniuk-Settee was found on Aberdeen and where police believe he was shot on Powers.
The inner door of 270 Powers was found hidden in the boarded up house next door and seized three months later, Dee said.
Court was shown photos of holes in the metal door.
"How it appears is someone ripped the metal to dig the lead out," Dee said about the fact no bullets were found, just bullet fragments.
No fingerprints were found on the door, he said.
Brass's lawyer, Tara Walker, asked Dee about the possibility he had seized the wrong door. He said no when she asked if he had measured the dimensions of the seized door or tried to fit it into the frame at 270 Powers.
The first day of trial is expected to include testimony from a Winnipeg Police Service identification officer, a first responder and two general patrol officers.
