Victim beaten, drugged, dismembered, jurors hear on Day 1 of Calgary manslaughter trial

A Calgary man was restrained with duct tape, beaten, drugged, dismembered and dumped on First Nations land west of the city, jurors heard Monday as the manslaughter trial got underway for one of his accused killers.

Jason Tait also faces a charge of accessory after the fact to murder in connection with the April 7, 2022 death of Keanan Crane, 22. 

On Monday, prosecutors Stephanie Morton and Aleksandra Simić outlined the Crown's theory of the case and expected evidence as the three-week jury trial got underway. 

Jurors heard that in the early morning hours of April 7, 2022, Crane and two friends showed up at Tait's home in northeast Calgary. 

Drug debt

A group of people were at the house including Tait and another man charged in Crane's death. 

At the time, Crane was selling drugs for the other alleged killer, Morton told jurors. The Crown's theory is that Tait was also working for the dealer. 

But weeks earlier, Crane had been pulled over by Calgary police while driving a stolen vehicle. 

Police seized the vehicle and the drugs the dealer had fronted Crane.

Crane now owed the man money.

Dosed with fentanyl 

Minutes after arriving at Tait's home, jurors heard that Crane was confronted by the drug dealer over the debt.

The confrontation was immediately physical. Morton told the jury that the evidence will show Crane was attacked by several people in the home, including Tait.

The victim was beaten, kicked and punched. The attackers used duct tape, binding his hands and feet.

They also administered a dose of fentanyl to Crane.

Two people in the living room witnessed the attack. They were forced to remain in the living room until they were able to escape Tait's home, according to Morton. 

Dog finds human foot

One of those witnesses has since died. The other will testify but a publication ban protects his identity. He can only be identified as AB.

AB is expected to testify that the group dragged Crane out of the living room.

The Crown theory is that after Crane was dragged out of the home, he was dismembered and driven in a stolen vehicle to the Mînî Thnî First Nations community, formerly known as Morley.

Crane's remains were not found until the next month. 

About five weeks after Crane disappeared, RCMP received a call from someone in Mînî Thnî.

DNA evidence

A family dog had brought home what appeared to be a human foot. 

RCMP searched the area. 

The search turned up a skull, a left leg bone and some other bone fragments, which were ultimately confirmed to be Crane's remains. The rest of his body was never found.

A blood-soaked rug inside a blue window curtain and black garbage bags that had been duct taped together was also recovered from the area. 

Police also turned up a serrated knife, clothing, a latex glove, a stained brown towel and a shower curtain with Crane's blood on it. 

Tait was ultimately arrested Jan. 13, 2023 in Edmonton.