The 12-person jury had made their decision and convicted a man of second-degree murder on Tuesday, October 23rd.
Over a year ago, on February 8th of 2017, a 24-year-old man was shot and killed near Aberdeen Avenue. The victim was identified as Bryer Prysiazniuk-Settee, he was shot twice and later died of received wounds. The prosecution attorneys took their time to build a case and now they are ready for a trial.
On Monday, October 15th Christopher Brass pleaded not guilty in the death of Bryer Prysiazniuk-Settee. Allegedly Settee had gone to an apartment to buy drugs. He said Brass was asleep on an armchair and Settee made a comment to his girlfriend saying “I should slit his throat.” Presumably, that’s when Brass was woken up, reached for his gun and shot Settee twice.
The trial was supposed to last for three weeks, including the 12-person jury, which consists of seven women and five men. Justice Vic Toews is presiding, Brass was facing charges of a second-degree murder. A jury has found a Winnipeg man guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Bryer Prysiazniuk-Settee, who was shot twice in the chest at a North End home and turned up dead in the snow blocks away.
Prior to that, at around noon, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Vic Toews instructed jurors to use "common sense" and impartially consider all the facts and witness testimony they've heard throughout the course of the trial for Christopher Brass. "Punishment has no place in your discussions," Toews said. "Your duty is to consider all the evidence."
The 24-year-old was hit in the chest with two of six bullets that came from a handgun witnesses say Brass reached down and drew from near his ankle, and fired from within a known Powers Avenue "meth house." Prysiazniuk-Settee took off and was found dead in the snow a few blocks away on Aberdeen Avenue.
Brass gave no visible reaction when the verdict was read out. Members of Prysiazniuk-Settee's family quietly sobbed as they sat in the courtroom. "To me, it actually means justice has been served, 'cause I really didn't have any hope in the justice system here. But today they served their purpose," said his mother, Gina Settee. The death of her son and the ensuing trial has torn the family apart "piece by piece," she said, but she hopes this verdict can help bring them back together.
The case had divided Winnipeggers in opinions, many think the victim was an addict and a criminal, and he provoked Brass for such action, others think no matter what Settee was doing there or what he said, he definitely didn’t deserve to be shot to death. The justice has been served, a second-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence with no eligibility for parole between 10 and 25 years. Jury members recommended sentences of parole ineligibility between 12 and 20 years.