The jury of a local murder trial deliberated for the better part of the afternoon and into the evening yesterday before being dismissed for the day at 9 p.m.
Mister Justice Robert Punnett asked the nine-man and three-woman jury to begin deliberations again at 9 a.m. this morning, March 21.
They are reviewing the evidence from the week-long trial of Travis Stephens, who was charged with the murder of Eric Cardinal and the attempted murder and aggravated assault of Megan Belanger on Sept. 14, 2013.
On Sept. 14, 2013 at approximately 1 p.m., Terrace RCMP were called to Dobbie St. in Thornhill and found one deceased male and an injured female. Both had been shot, said police at that time.
The deceased male was later identified to be Eric Cardinal.
The female victim was transported to Mills Memorial Hospital where she was listed in serious condition with a non-life threatening wound, said police.
An extensive manhunt began after a yellow pickup truck was observed leaving the Dobbie St. area of Thornhill where the shootings took place, said police.
The pickup was found abandoned on a rural forest service road in the Kleanza Creek area east of Terrace and Thornhill on the same day of the shootings, said police.
Officers from the Terrace RCMP detachment, the area’s emergency response team and a police dog and officer converged on the location. A helicopter was also involved.
Shortly before 8 p.m. on the same day, Terrace RCMP arrested a man believed to be the shooter, police stated in a release.
That man was Stephens.
“RCMP have confirmed that Stephens was known to the victims and the incident was drug-related. All individuals involved are known to police,” said police in the release.
RCMP vehicles remained at the Dobbie St. residence for several days as specialists examined the crime scene.