The five-weeks long Douglas Hales murder trial wound up on Thursday.
Hales is on trial for first-degree murder in the death of 25-year-old Daleen Bosse of Onion Lake Cree Nation who was last seen in May 2004.
Bosse was married, the mother of one and finishing up a teaching degree at the University of Saskatchewan when she went missing.
Both the defence and Crown made final arguments on the last day of the trial.
As he has done in the past, defence lawyer Bob Hrycan told court Hales would have done or said anything officers in the Mr. Big undercover sting operation asked him to as he was motivated by fear, a sense of brotherhood and a promise of a big money payout.
For these reasons, Hrycan said the murder confessions Hales gave to undercover officers cannot be seen as credible.
Hrycan added the murder confession Hales gave to Saskatoon police after his arrest is also not credible because he was once again only submitting to the lead of a powerful superior under a situation of extreme stress.
The defence lawyer said the truth is that Hales believed Bosse had died from alcohol poisoning in his presence, he was responsible for her death and he panicked and burned her body.
With these conclusions, Hrycan said Hales should only be guilty of committing an indignity to a human body.
Crown prosecutor Matt Miazga began his final arguments by challenging the defence’s portrayal of Hales as a meek, unsophisticated character unable to defend himself.
Miazga said Hales, by his own admission, had been able to confidently lie to police on more than one occasion by stringing together false stories.
He also said there is no proof Hales was fearful of the fictitious criminal organization the Mr. Big undercover police sting operation presented nor did anything unwillingly other than what Hales himself has claimed.
Miazga added the story Hales told undercover officers that he decided to kill Bosse, took her to a remote area so as not to be seen, strangled her and burned the body to remove evidence sounded convincing because it is the truth.
Miazga said Hales orchestrated a plan to kill Bosse because at some point she refused to have sex with him and he executed this plan in a cold and organized fashion.
For these reasons, he should be convicted of first-degree murder.
The trial has now been adjourned until Aug. 29 when Justice Gerald Albright will render a decision.