The third person charged in the death of Ryan Sugar testified in the murder trial of Colinda Hotomanie and Gregory Wolfe on Monday morning.
Sugar’s body was found in a burnt out house on McTavish Street in North Central Regina in October 2016, one week after a fire on October 5.
On Friday, the forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy testified that Sugar died of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. She said he had soot in his mouth, nose and throat.
She also testified that she found a number of cuts and abrasions on his body that she believes were inflicted before his death.
Hotomanie, Wolfe, and Jessica Pangman were all charged with first-degree murder in Sugar’s death in December of 2016.
Pangman, who is also Hotomanie’s niece, will be tried at a later date in connection with the case.
On Monday morning, Pangman testified that the house where the fire happened was her residence. Her aunt, Hotomanie, was also staying there, as she needed somewhere to stay.
She continued that on the night of the fire, Wolfe and Sugar got into a fight inside the house on McTavish Street because she believed Sugar had sexually assaulted her, and Hotomanie. She also testified that she believed Sugar was HIV positive. She says Hotomanie brought Wolfe objects like a bottle and pocketknife to use during the fight.
Pangman went on to say that Sugar was eventually locked in the bathroom, which had a broken door. She said that Wolfe tried to light the door on fire with an aerosol oven cleaner, but was not successful. She said at the point, Hotomanie grabbed a bottle of lice shampoo, and set a throw pillow on fire, which started a large blaze.
She continued on, saying they moved a large, older style big screen TV from the corner by the door to block the bathroom door. She said she left the house with Hotomanie as black smoke began to spread through the house. Wolfe joined them a few minutes later. She also testified that Sugar was standing when they left the house.
Pangman also testified that she went back to the house around 2:30 a.m. after the fire. She said she yelled for Sugar, but didn’t hear a response, so she assumed he had made it out. She said she did not check the bathroom.
CTV’s Cole Davenport is in the courtroom: