Manslaughter trial begins
JUROR TROUBLES SLOW PROCEEDINGS
It was a slow start to a trial Monday in Lethbridge Court of Queen’s Bench, where a woman is charged with manslaughter in the stabbing death of her partner more than two years ago.
Before the trial for Jillian Wendy Across The Mountain even started, a juror was released, then after the Crown presented its opening statement and presented its first piece of evidence — an audio recording of a call to 911 — another juror asked to be released. If granted — a decision is expected today — that will reduce the jury to 11 members; five women and six men.
Across The Mountain is accused of killing her partner Frances Candice (Candy) Little Light at a westside apartment on the evening of Feb. 7, 2016.
Crown prosecutor Clayton Giles told the jury, police first received a call about a disturbance at the apartment building and found a “relatively sober” Across The Mountain and the other woman. Less than 12 hours later Little Light was found dead in a pool of her own blood but Across The Mountain had disappeared.
Giles said the accused went to the police station three days later because she heard they were looking for her. He said she had moved out of the apartment the same day Little Light was killed, but had showered, washed laundry and removed as much evidence as she could. Giles also said Across The Mountain purposely didn’t wear the same boots to the police station she had worn Feb. 7 because they had Little Light’s blood on them.
Giles told the jury they won’t hear during the trial exactly what happened between the two women during the earlier disturbance, or exactly what happened 12 hours later, but “Candy was in no position to stab herself.”
Little Light was stabbed three times, including once in the upper left arm where an artery was cut. The knife with Little Light’s blood on it was found behind a radiator in the entry room to the apartment building.
The trial, which is scheduled for three weeks, resumes today. The Crown’s case isn’t expected to conclude until some time next week.