An RCMP officer exits 602 Cedar Crescent on June 3, 2014 after investigating the house where Ed Gyoba died. Nephew Shane Gyoba is charged with second-degree murder
(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
August 10, 2015 - 5:01 PM
KAMLOOPS — What happened in a one-hour period last summer in Ashcroft is the centre of discussion in the latest murder trial taking place in Kamloops Supreme Court.
Shane Takeshi Gyoba, 28, is accused of second-degree murder in the death of his uncle, Ed Gyoba, 66, whom he was living with in Ashcroft.
In the first day of trial today, Aug. 10, Crown prosecutor Neil Flanagan called on Sgt. Paul Bouwman to examine a series of photographs taken on June 2, 2014, shortly after Ed’s body was discovered behind the house at 602 Cedar Crescent. Court heard the cause of Ed’s death was blunt force injuries to the head.
Flanagan said he plans to call several police and civilian witnesses throughout the trial and expects to hear from neighbours who will say before Ed died, the two men were engaged in an altercation in the backyard. Fifty minutes after the altercation and death, Shane was taken into custody.
While reviewing the photos of the scene, Flanagan drew attention to a broken shovel with blood on it, a white box covered in blood spatter, black garbage bags wrapped around the body and a freshly dug shallow grave.
Shane appeared relaxed in court, but rather than focussing on his trial he remained fixated on the two sheriffs supervising him in the prisoner’s dock and made two attempts to climb over the banister. When the trial began he spoke out in court and claimed his uncle was suffering from a mental disorder.
Flanagan said the Crown theorizes the defence will claim Shane was acting in self-defence or may claim he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the incident.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca, or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015