Accused killer’s car damaged, bullets found in bag: Mountie tells court

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This article was published 19/05/2023 (893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The trial of a man accused of slaying his neighbour on a rural Manitoba property before fleeing to Ontario nearly two years ago continued Friday, as jurors heard from a Mountie who seized the alleged killer’s car.

Eric Wildman, 36, dressed in a grey suit Friday, sat between two sheriffs next to his lawyers in the Court of King’s Bench, at times appearing to grin.

He’s charged with first-degree murder in the June 7, 2021, shooting death of Clifford Joseph, 40.

Wildman and Joseph lived on neighbouring properties outside of Stead, a small community northeast of Winnipeg.

Crown prosecutors have told court Joseph was on Wildman’s property to try to steal a trailer winch when Wildman arrived and struck him with his Chevrolet Impala, breaking the man’s jaw and leg.

Prosecutors allege Wildman then drove the injured Joseph to another property nearby and shot him three times before burying him under branches in the bush.

Cpl. Kyle Bernier was working in Manitoba RCMP’s major crimes services when he was tasked with investigating Wildman.

On June 11, Bernier and his police partner visited the Tyndall Park home of a friend of Wildman’s three times, as well as the home of his mother, in attempts to find the suspect.

“We went there to locate him and arrest him for murder,” Bernier testified.

The Mounties, dressed in plain clothes, arrived at the Tyndall Park home for the second time at 3:16 p.m. and spotted Wildman’s car, with a cracked windshield and damage to the bumper, just down the street.

After speaking with a superior, Bernier called for a tow truck driver to seize the vehicle and take it to RCMP headquarters on Portage Avenue for forensic analysis. Officers found an empty case for a Glock handgun and a June 9 receipt from an autoparts store inside.

Crown prosecutor Bryton Moen alleged earlier this week Wildman had purchased a new hood for the Impala and installed it the store’s parking lot as an attempt to cover up the damage caused by hitting Joseph.

Bernier said his observations June 11 suggested the vehicle had recently been in involved in a collision.

As the two RCMP officers awaited Winnipeg police backup before approaching the front door, and the tow-truck driver worked to hook up the Impala, a vehicle left from the home. Bernier testified he could not discern who the occupants were.

On a third visit to the Tyndall Park home, Bernier testified his partner asked the home’s occupant for a cooler bag belonging to Wildman, which the partner first searched before Bernier searched it again at RCMP headquarters, photographing its contents.

The bag contained an automotive diagnostic tool, flashlight, medical mask, gun oil and a 100-count box of Winchester brand 9-mm ammunition, along with loose shells and receipts.

On cross-examination, Wildman’s defence lawyer Martin Glazer noted police did not know how long the bag had been at the Tyndall Park home nor who had packed it.

Wildman, who had spoken with Mounties earlier and claimed he had been staying at a friend’s home the night of the slaying, called RCMP after his vehicle was towed to report a gun was missing. RCMP told him to stay put at his mother’s house, as they were going to arrest him for murder.

Wildman instead took a taxi to the airport, rented a car and drove to Belleville, Ont., where he was arrested five days later by Ontario Provincial Police.

RCMP found Joseph’s remains June 18. Wildman was charged with first-degree murder in September 2021.

On June 21, Bernier testified he went to two Winnipeg gas stations to acquire surveillance camera video from June 8 and 9, showing a man who RCMP think is Wildman gassing up the Impala.

In those videos, which were played for the jury, Bernier testified the vehicle’s hood was damaged.

On Thursday, an RCMP officer who found some of Joseph’s belongings on Wildman’s property near Stead testified. As did the friend who Wildman had claimed to have stayed with on the night of the slaying

That man testified the accused hadn’t been at his home, Moen said.

The trial, scheduled for four weeks, continues Tuesday.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera