REGINA -- Court heard from a 18-year-old witness on Thursday, who spoke about what he saw at a party on Cameron Street in October 2018 where 16-year-old Erica Hill died.
It was the fourth day of the second-degree murder trial of a Saskatchewan boy who was arrested and charged in October 2018 in relation to the death. The accused was 15-years-old at the time of the incident and cannot be named, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Daylen Quewezance testified he went to the party alone and was already slightly intoxicated. He said he continued drinking to the point that it was hard to remember conversations from the party.
Quewezance said he remembered bringing bear spray to the party, but did not bring a knife. He remembered hearing about knives at the party and seeing a machete at one point, but he was not sure who brought what.
A video showed Quewezance hugging Hill after an initial fight. Quewezance said he didn’t notice any injuries on Hill at that time. Quewezance said he was too drunk to remember who was all fighting, but remembers seeing Hill hurt after the fray. He said he saw the injury on Hill’s neck after she was on the ground.
“Stab mark or something like that, because it was bleeding and it was a small wound,” Quewezance said. “All that I remember was that she was on the ground.”
During cross examination the witness agreed he was intoxicated to the point of blacking out at the party and had bruises in the morning. Transcripts from when the witness was at the police station the next day revealed Quewezance kept forgetting, and had to be repeatedly reminded that Hill had died.
The cross examination revealed DNA from Quewezance was found on the handle of a knife from the party, but it was suggested that may have happened while people were showing off their knives to others at the party.
Quewezance did not remember seeing anyone pull a knife out during the fight at the party that led to Hill’s death.
On Thursday afternoon, a 21-year-old witness testified he believed he saw Hill fighting in the basement with two guys. He said he got involved, but couldn’t recall who he was fighting.
“I just grabbed someone and put them in a chokehold,” the witness said.
The witness said he got kicked in the head during the fray and tried to leave the basement, but a large crowd caused him to remain downstairs.
“I looked up and Erica was trying to walk towards me and she just fell over,” the witness said.
The witness said he noticed a stab wound and blood on Hill. He said someone could have taken out a knife during the fight, but he did not remember seeing any weapons.
Later on Thursday, a 15-year-old witness appeared by video and testified that she saw Hill and the accused fighting at the party.
She recalled seeing machetes at the party on at least two people. The witness also remembered seeing Hill fall after the fight and blood beside Hill on the ground.
During cross examination the witness confirmed she was likely six feet away from Hill when the fight ended.
No witnesses are planned to testify on Friday. The trial is expected to resume on Monday.
The trial is expected to last at least three weeks.