Murder trial over death of innocent teenage bystander in British Columbia moves to closing arguments – BC

Closing arguments in the double murder trial of the man accused of killing an innocent Coquitlam teenager and a gangster in 2018 are set to begin next month after defence counsel told the jury on Monday the accused would not present evidence.

Kane Carter, 28, who used a walker to enter and exit the courtroom during the trial, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated assault.

2:15
Trial of Kane Carter: Expert on encrypted language takes the witness stand

The prosecution will present its closing arguments on September 3 and 4, while the defense will present its closing arguments on September 5.

Carter is accused of killing two people – including 15-year-old Alfred Wong from Coquitlam – and injuring another innocent person in a shooting on Broadway in Vancouver six years ago.

Prosecutors allege that Carter was in Vancouver to murder Kevin Whiteside, while Whiteside himself was in the 100 block of West Broadway at the time, planning to kill his gang rival Matthew Navas-Rivas.

Get daily national news

Receive the most important news and headlines from politics, business and current events in your inbox once a day.

Video evidence from the trial, which began in June, shows a gunman named Whiteside running down Broadway on Jan. 13, 2018, firing wildly at a taxi carrying Navas-Rivas.

Navas-Rivas fled the scene while Whiteside was fatally shot on the sidewalk.

2:31
Kane Carter trial: Global News receives more evidence in case of teenager killed by stray bullet

According to a surveillance recording played in court, a burgundy van across the street, in which prosecutors said the killer was, left the crime scene seconds later.

The shootout between two innocent vehicles turned into an incident with catastrophic consequences.

Wong died when he was hit by a ricochet bullet in the back seat of his parents' car on the way home from a family dinner.

A second innocent person in another car was grazed by a ricochet bullet but survived.

Crown claims the burgundy van at the crime scene resembles a van found outside Carter's Surrey apartment.

2:34
Trial of Kane Carter: Mother of innocent gang victim testifies in court

A bloody handkerchief and further DNA traces linked to the defendant were found inside, as well as three fired cartridge cases.

The murder weapon was never found.

The burgundy van was not registered to the defendant and it is impossible to determine whether the cartridge cases found inside are related to the murder weapon because they are too damaged to be analyzed, the court heard.

The case depends on the prosecution's ability to prove the identity of the shooter.

No witnesses saw who pulled the trigger, and the killer was never caught on video.

The prosecution told the jury right at the start that its case was based almost entirely on circumstantial evidence and that it would make no attempt to prove a motive.

British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Catherine Wedge is expected to give her final instructions to the jury on September 6, after which it will begin deliberating on verdict.

© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.