Slain mother’s last hours to be heard at murder trial

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This article was published 08/01/2020 (2125 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Four years after Crystal Andrews was found dead near a garbage dump on God’s Lake First Nation, a judge will hear how the 22-year-old mother of two spent her last hours, and how her path collided with her alleged killer.

Michael William Okemow, 39, is charged with second-degree murder in the November 2015 death. His trial started Wednesday in Thompson.

“The Crown’s theory is simple,” Crown attorney Ari Millo said in an opening address to Queen’s Bench Justice Chris Martin.

“Michael Okemow and Crystal Andrews’ paths converged on the morning of Nov. 8, 2015,” Millo said. “Michael Okemow picked Crystal Andrews up on the island side of the community as she was walking home… drove her to the west side winter road and murdered her there.”

Over the next two weeks, court is to hear from 23 police and civilian witnesses who will piece together the whereabouts of the victim and alleged killer before — and in the case of Okemow — after the killing, Millo said.

“In the case before you, the places where the witnesses observations were made and individual exhibits were found is of particular importance,” Millo said.

Witnesses are expected to testify Andrews spent the evening before she disappeared at a pair of Halloween parties with her longtime boyfriend. Andrews went on to attend another house party, and later joined friends in waking a local cab driver for a ride home, Millo said.

“The next set of witnesses will outline the accused’s path — his actions and movements that Sunday morning and later that afternoon when he attended to his parents’ house,” Millo said.

Okemow’s mother is expected to “describe in detail what the accused did upon attending to his parents’ house… and the information she relayed to police,” Millo said.

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca