Jury members overseeing the trial for a man accused of the second-degree murder of Briana Hayes in April 2024 have been sequestered to reach a verdict. Hayes’ body was found by Saskatchewan RCMP in the RM of Moose Mountain on April 25, 2024. Following the investigation, police charged Taylor Japp with second-degree murder. Hayes and Japp were both from Oxbow, Sask. On Monday, Justice Michael Morris delivered a lengthy list of instructions to the 12-member jury. The trial began on Sept. 2 at Estevan’s Court of King’s Bench. The judge reminded jurors Japp is presumed innocent until proven otherwise under The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In addition, Morris instructed members to rely strictly on the evidence provided in court throughout the trial, including testimonies and text messages, and to not reach a decision based on any biases or prejudices. The jury was sequestered Monday afternoon. It is unclear how long they will deliberate for before reaching a decision. More details to come…
