Murder trial begins for Manitoba man accused of running down, shooting neighbour
CTV
A trial has started for a Manitoba man accused of running down and shooting his neighbour before fleeing the province.
WINNIPEG -- A Manitoba man ran down and executed a neighbour he had caught stealing from his property, a Crown prosecutor told jurors in a murder trial Monday.
Eric Wildman, 38, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Clifford Joseph, 40, who was reported missing on June 7, 2021.
Joseph's remains were found the following month in a rural area northeast of Winnipeg.
Crown prosecutor Bryton Moen told the jury that Joseph set out to Wildman's property in the Rural Municipality of St. Clements in the early morning hours with a headlamp, tools and a plan to steal from his neighbour.
"He went to steal. He never came home," Moen said during his opening arguments.
"He was hit by a car and then executed … What killed him were three gunshots, including one to the back of the head."
It would be weeks later before Joseph's body was found partly scavenged by animals, court heard. An autopsy determined Joseph had a broken leg and broken jaw.