Fate of pair accused in man’s torture death now in hands of jury

Jurors on Monday were given final legal instructions to help them decide the fate of a pair of accused killers charged in the torture death of a Calgary man.

In a six-week case that was almost derailed just days into its start by a too curious juror, Justice Blair Nixon explained the law to the five women and six men who will begin deliberating the case of Diana Liao and Tewodros Kebede Tuesday morning.

Both Liao, who also goes by the name Yu Chieh Liao, and Kebede are charged with first-degree murder in the July 10, 2017, death of Hanock Afowerk.

They’re also charged as accessories in the murders of three others, whose charred and bullet-ridden bodies were found inside Afowerk’s torched car that morning.

The Crown believes Cody Pfeiffer, Tiffany Ear and Glynnis Fox were murdered to eliminate them as potential witnesses in Afowerk’s slaying.

An internet search by one juror in the first week of the trial to determine the ages of the victims resulted in a mistrial application by defence lawyers Susan Karpa and Jeinis Patel when it was made known that the juror discussed his research with other members of the jury.

But after each of the other 11 members were individually questioned on what they were told and each said they were only given information on the ages of the deceased, the lawyers agreed the trial could proceed.

The curious juror was dismissed from the case.

It’s the theory of Crown prosecutors Brian Holtby and Heather Morris that Afowerk was kidnapped for ransom and tortured before his body was dumped by Highway 22, southwest of Calgary.

It’s not known where, but the other three were fatally shot before Afowerk’s car was set on fire with their bodies inside.