Jury hears closing arguments in the Peter Khill murder trial

The jury heard closing arguments on Wednesday in the Peter Khill second-degree murder trial.

The defence told the jury that Khill didn’t want to kill anyone that night in 2016 when someone was breaking into his pickup truck and that he even performed CPR on the victim afterwards. While the Crown argued that Khill grabbed his shotgun instead of calling 911 because he wanted to control the situation.

“I just did CPR for six or seven minutes,” it was this part of the 911 call that night in February 2016 that defence lawyer Jeff Manishen says is telling.

“That’s the action of someone who tried to save a life,” Manishen told the jury today.

Manishen described his client as a sincere and decent man, a 26-year-old at the time who had never been in trouble with the law.

On that cold and dark February morning, Khill and his girlfriend awoke to the sounds of someone on their property. 29-year-old Jonathan Styres had broken into Khill’s truck. Khill testified that he grabbed his shotgun and headed outside.

“Did you see the slightest hint in his testimony that he could be someone to flash to anger?” Manishen asked the jury, “and for what? a 2001 truck?”

Khill testified that he thought Styres was going to shoot him so he shot first, as it turns out, Styres did not have a gun.

“Peter Khill isn’t a murderer. He acted in self-defence.” Manishen said.

A much different picture than what the Crown painted for the jury. “That’s an intentional killing,” Crown prosecutor Paul McDermott told the jury. He explained that there were many things Khill could have done before confronting Styres with a shotgun, like call the police but he didn’t.

“He was determined on his course of action,” the Crown said on Wednesday.

Now the judge will begin his charge to the jury. That means he will instruct the jurors on the law they must follow in reviewing evidence and coming to their decision. Wednesday we heard both from the defence and the Crown that should the jury find Peter Khill not guilty of second-degree murder, the lesser charge of manslaughter will also be up for them to consider.

The Crown says this is a clear case of second-degree murder because Khill went out with a shotgun to confront the person on his property, a weapon he knows can kill.

While the defence says Khill’s military training took over and he reacted to protect himself- as he has been taught to do.

The charge to the jury continues Thursday.