A Lethbridge trial is over after the Crown stayed charges against a second man accused of manslaughter.
A judge on Tuesday (Oct. 8) dismissed the charge against 25 year old Rylan Twigg saying a statement he gave to police and a re-enactment video of the killing were not given voluntarily.
The defence had argued Twigg’s video statement was involuntary, noting that a cognitive disability made him more susceptible to police interview techniques, something the judge agreed with.
On Wednesday morning, the Crown stayed the same manslaughter charge against 20 year old Simon Scout.
That effectively means the trial is over and both men are free.
The pair was accused in the beating death of 45 year old Kenrick First Rider who was found dead at his north side home in Nov. 2017 after getting into a fight with two men.
A medical examiner, who completed First Rider’s autopsy, previously testified that his death was caused by blunt force injuries.
The trial had already been underway for six weeks.