Accused dragged man into bush ‘to murder him’: witness tells court

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This article was published 05/02/2025 (213 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Once a co-accused in the violent killing of a man she considered a friend, Janine Atkinson no longer has a possible life sentence hanging over her head.

On Monday, Atkinson was in a Winnipeg courtroom telling jurors how Aaron Mousseau Abigosis came to murder Bud Paul at the end of a dark, remote Manitoba road more than four years ago.

Atkinson, who has a lengthy criminal record and is currently serving a 7½-year prison sentence for shooting a man, has been granted immunity from prosecution in return for her testimony against Abigosis.

King’s Bench Justice Sarah Inness told jurors they will have to carefully assess Atkinson’s evidence, given her own criminal history and possible motivation to lie.

“Experience teaches us that testimony from Crown witnesses of this kind in these circumstances must be approached with the greatest degree of care and caution,” Inness said.

Fifty-six-year-old Bud Paul’s decomposed remains were discovered Aug. 11, 2020, in a stand of willows, off a dead-end road just outside the northern edge of Roseau River First Nation.

Abigosis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Prosecutors allege Abigosis killed Paul on Aug. 3. Paul was beaten and slashed in the abdomen with what prosecutors have described as a bush axe.

Paul’s burned-out vehicle was found on Queen Street, near Polo Park mall on Aug. 10.

Atkinson testified she met Paul over Facebook in mid-July and then in person for the first time roughly two weeks later.

“He was looking for companionship,” she said. “We would just drive around, hang out.”

On July 31, Atkinson and Abigosis, whom she had met earlier that same summer, spent the night with Paul, watching movies at his Hespeler Avenue apartment.

The next morning, Paul agreed to drive Abigosis and Atkinson to Pine Creek First Nation, where Abigosis wanted to pick up a cheque from his mother, Atkinson told court.

Atkinson said they stopped at Long Plains First Nation, near Portage la Prairie, where Abigosis visited a few houses “to get high.”

By 4:45 p.m., the trio was in Neepawa, where security cameras captured Atkinson purchasing a bottle of vodka at a liquor store. Security video showed Abigosis behind the wheel and Paul in the backseat when they drove out of the parking lot.

Atkinson said she had been using cocaine during the road trip and described herself at times being “really intoxicated.”

Abigosis drove to Dauphin where he “went to a couple of places” and visited his sister before driving on to Pine Creek, Atkinson said. There, Abigosis went to his mother’s house and picked up his cheque, while Paul waited in the car.

“I asked Bud if he wanted something to eat, so I went inside and Aaron was talking to his mom,” Atkinson said. A short time later, she saw children bringing soup and bannock to Paul in his car, she said.

Atkinson said she and Abigosis visited a house party, while Paul remained in the car.

Atkinson said they left Pine Creek and were headed toward Dauphin on a dirt road when Abigosis stopped the car and pulled Paul out of the backseat.

Abigosis “started fighting (Paul)… he f—-ing football-kicked him in the balls” and punched him in the face, she said.

“I know he was in pain … he just yelled,” she said. “I was pretty shocked.”

Atkinson said she heard Abigosis tell Paul “something about being a john and picking up chicks.”

Atkinson took the wheel at Abigosis’s direction and the group returned to Dauphin, where Atkinson and Abigosis spent the night at his sister’s home, while Paul remained in the car.

“I went to the vehicle (the next morning) and he was still there,” she said. “He was breathing and laying there … He was pretty injured and bruised up in the face.”

Abigosis’s sister helped Paul into the house while Abigosis took the car “to get some dope,” Atkinson said.

The group drove to Winnipeg the next day, with Abigosis at the wheel. Atkinson said they drove past Health Sciences Centre at which time she urged Abigosis to stop and drop Paul off. Abigosis refused to stop.

“(Police) cruisers were sitting in emergency,” she said. “He didn’t want to stop there: two native people showing up with a badly injured white man.”

After a few more stops, the group headed out of the city toward Roseau River First Nation, Atkinson’s home community. Atkinson said they stopped along the way and Abigosis forced Paul to snort fentanyl.

Atkinson said Abigosis drove down a dead end road, pulled over, and asked her to help him drag Paul into the bush.

Crown attorney Mike Himmelman asked Atkinson why did Abigosis want to take Paul to the bush?

“To murder him,” she said.

“He wanted me to help him … I refused. He just got out of the vehicle, grabbed Bud, grabbed some rope and dragged him to the bush.”

Atkinson said Paul was unconscious as Abigosis bound him with rope and took him to the bush. She said Abigosis was carrying a machete when he returned to the car.

Abigosis changed his clothes, Atkinson testified, got back behind the wheel and drove back to Winnipeg.

“I just looked at him and said ‘Y’know, we could have just taken him to the hospital,’” she said. “It was a pretty quiet trip back to Winnipeg.”

Atkinson admitted later using Paul’s bank card to withdraw several hundred dollars from his account.

Defence lawyer Tara Walker accused Atkinson of entering an immunity agreement with prosecutors to save herself from a life sentence in prison.

Jurors heard Atkinson had already entered into the immunity agreement and was being provided with free housing for herself and her young son — Abigosis’s child — when she shot a man while high on crack. She later pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent and was sentenced to 7½ years in prison.

“You’re willing to testify now to protect yourself from another prosecution,” Walker said.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca