The trial is taking place at the Don Ross Centre in North Battleford. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

RCMP investigation

Trial wraps up for accused in Thunderchild First Nation murder case

Feb 11, 2022 | 8:00 AM

The trial wrapped up Thursday for the man facing a murder charge, related to a Thunderchild First Nation homicide in 2018.

Ivor Antoine Wapass, 47, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Roger Standingwater, 57, on Sept. 15, 2018. Wapass was arrested Nov. 1, 2019.

Wapass pleaded not guilty to the charge when he previously appeared in court Jan. 4, 2022.

Crown prosecutors Suzanne Reid and defence attorney Jonathan Bodvarson presented their closing arguments Thursday.

In her presentation Reid said there is no witness to provide direct evidence in the case so it’s considered circumstantial.

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She argued that Standingwater was injured from having his face stomped on by a shoe.

She said when the doctor who determines forensics presented his findings as an expert witness in the case he said there was blunt force trauma to Standingwater’s head. He indicated there appears to have been multiple blows, as though through an assault.

Reid questioned why the accused changed his shoes, which had blood stains, after Roger was found unresponsive.

“In the Crown’s view there are no innocent splatter stains on the shoe,” she said.

She said when Corey Wapass, Ivor’s brother, who was also in the house at the time, fell asleep on the small couch he recalled waking up later to see Ivor standing over Standingwater, with an injured kitten twitching next to him.

“While he [Corey] said he was blacked out, he clearly has the details,” Reid said.

She indicated a shoe print the same size as Ivor’s was seen next to Standingwater’s head where there was blood on the floor after the alleged assault. There was also a blood splatter on the large couch where Roger would have first fallen asleep earlier.

Bodvarson argued there was insufficient evidence in the case.

“Ivor is innocent,” he said. “He didn’t want Roger to die.”

He went on to say it is uncertain whether Standingwater was injured from a fall or something else.

“We don’t know what happened to Roger,” he said.

Bodvarson added his client had blood on his clothing and shoes from trying to resuscitate Standingwater.

He said a number of people at the house were intoxicated, which impacted their memory of events.

The trial is being held at the off-site location at the Don Ross Centre in North Battleford for the duration to accommodate social distancing for the 12-member jury as a COVID-19 precaution.

The RCMP previously reported Roger Standingwater was found in medical distress at a home on the Thunderchild First Nation on Sept. 15, 2018, after being reported unresponsive. He was later pronounced deceased by EMS personnel.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow