Slashed throat cause of death, jury told

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This article was published 21/11/2019 (2462 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Christophur Baur was beaten about the head and strangled, but it was a deep slash to his neck that killed him, a jury was told Thursday.

James Morris, 42, is on trial for second-degree murder in the January 2015 killing.

Police discovered Baur’s body hidden underneath the porch of Morris’s Magnus Avenue home on Feb. 15, 2015, six weeks after he had been reported missing.

In a police interview that same day, Morris said Baur had gone to his house looking to collect on a $200 drug debt and the two men got into a fight that ended with Baur dead.

Justice Shaun Greenberg told jurors on the first day of trial Monday that Morris is claiming he acted in self-defence.

Pathologist Dr. Dennis Rhee testified Thursday that Baur sustained a dozen bruises and lacerations to his head and face, bruises to his torso and left arm, and what appeared to be defensive wounds to his hands.

“It was immediately evident there was trauma on the body, severe trauma,” Rhee said.

Baur was still alive when the injuries were inflicted, and when his assailant attempted to strangle him and stabbed him in the neck, Rhee said.

Baur died after his attacker slashed his throat, severing his carotid artery and jugular vein.

Rhee rejected a suggestion by defence lawyer Ian Histed that Baur might have sustained many of his head injuries falling down the stairs, saying, “It’s starting to stretch my credulity.”

Prosecutors are expected to close their case Friday.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca