Double murder trial opens
Identity will be a central issue as a B.C. Supreme Court trial began Tuesday for a “fourth man” implicated in a drug-related double killing.
Perry Andrew Charlie faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Thomas Burt Reed of Burns Lake and David Laurin Franks of Prince George and a count of attempted murder with a firearm in relation to Bradley Knight, the soul survivor of the Jan. 25, 2017, targeted shooting.
Co-accused Seaver Tye Miller and Joshua Steven West have each pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and Aaron Ryan Moore to two counts of criminal negligence causing death. They all await sentencing.
In opening remarks, prosecutor Marie-Louise Ahrens said it is the Crown’s theory that Franks had offended someone in the local drug culture and a hit had been ordered on him. Franks was lured to a pullout on Foothills Boulevard about 400 metres south of North Nechako Road on the pretext of selling some cocaine to a known customer.
Unfortunately for Reed, he had offered to drive Franks to the spot in his car, a Chevrolet Malibu, and Knight was along for the ride. Ahrens said the court will hear that they pulled in beside a van owned by a man who gave rides for hire.
Franks got out of the car to make the deal, “but apparently sensed that things were going sideways. He jumped back into the Malibu, yelling to the effect of ‘go, go, go!’ And then a hail of gunfire hit the car and its occupants.”
Knight, who was in the back seat, called 911 at about 2:35 a.m. to say he had been seriously wounded and that it appeared Franks and Reed were dead. A small white dog was also found dead.
By 3 a.m., RCMP had found and impounded the van and had arrested Moore and West while Charlie was apprehended the next day. Following a flood of tips, Miller was arrested a week later.
According to an admission of facts, police found three pumpaction shotguns in Miller’s home on Diamond Drive in the Hart and police determined that the shells found at the scene of the shooting were fired from one or all of the guns.
Other key pieces of evidence include a pair of size 11 1/2 Nike Shock running shoes seized from Charlie’s home in the Caledonia Trailer Park off North Nechako Road with a tread pattern alleged to match that found at the scene of the shooting.
Tire tracks found at the scene also matched those from the van, the court was told.
A camouflage jacket, a pair of camouflage overalls, a black hankerchief and drawings of the word “Unique” were also found in Charlie’s home and the accused has the same word tattooed to a forearm, the court was told.
The van’s driver, Thomas Lee, was the first of the dozen witnesses slated for the trial to testify. Lee said he owned a burgundy Chevrolet Venture van with sliding doors on either side, had worked for Miller in the past and had been in Charlie’s home once or twice.
He said Miller had contacted him through social media to arrange for a ride. Lee said he and a friend showed up at Miller’s home, a doublewide mobile home near the corner of Diamond Drive and Nordic Road, shortly after midnight to pick up him and two others.
From there, they drove on to Charlie’s home where the trio went inside and came back out with Charlie as well as a couple of zipped up duffel bags.
Lee said he recognized Charlie and heard the others refer to him as Unique.
On Miller’s orders, they drove to the corner of Central and 15th where they parked in front of a local store. Lee said Miller then “went around the corner” and came back about 20 minutes later. They then drove to a gas station on Range Road where Miller asked Lee to fill up a jerry can he kept in the back of the van for emergencies. Lee refused but his friend volunteered.
Lee then drove the group to a fast food restaurant at 15th and Central where Miller could get some free wifi. He then borrowed Lee’s cellphone to “call this guy” and buy $260 worth of cocaine.
They then drove to the pullover on Foothills with Lee conducting a U-turn to get to the spot.
The trial continues today.