SaskatchewanThe jury has heard all of the evidence and the Crown and defence presented final arguments Monday at the trial for the man charged with second-degree murder in the death of Misha Pavelick at a campground near Regina Beach in 2006. The judge has presented jury instructions, and deliberations are to start WednesdayAliyah Marko-Omene · CBC News · Posted: Nov 10, 2025 7:30 PM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Mural of Misha Pavelick by artist Jayde Goodon, located on the side of Brandee’s Corner Store at 3015 13th Ave., in Regina’s Cathedral neighbourhood in May 2021. Pavelick, 19, was killed at a campground near Regina Beach over the May long weekend in 2006. (CBC)Jurors in Regina Court of King’s Bench heard the last of the evidence on Monday at the trial for the man charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Misha Pavelick.The 19-year-old was fatally stabbed at the Kinookimaw campground near Regina Beach, about 45 kilometres northwest of Regina, on May 21, 2006. The identity of the accused, who is now 36, is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act because he was underage at the time. The jury has heard testimony from more than 30 witnesses and viewed photos, DNA analysis and an autopsy report. Crown prosecutor Adam Breker laid out the factors he argued led to Pavelick’s death nearly 20 years ago, starting with an uninvited group who brought weapons to a graduation party. The accused was not only part of that group, but also “supplied the weapons” to some of them that night, he told the jury.“They were readying for violence.”Breker noted Kyle Edwards, a friend of the accused, testified early in the trial that he and his roommate Dustin Scudder brought knives to the campground. Edwards told court he kept his knife in his pocket until the next morning, but saw Scudder hand a knife to the accused during the party. Murder trial witness recalls knife exchange at campground before Misha Pavelick diedBreker argued that Scudder’s knife later ended up in Scott Nelson’s hands, and was used to stab another partygoer, Derek Enns. He said evidence presented at the trial, including DNA, proved Nelson could not have used that knife to kill Pavelick.He noted Pavelick’s autopsy concluded he died of a two-centimetre stab wound to the heart. Breker said the knife Nelson used was much larger and Pavelick’s DNA was not found on it. However, DNA from both Nelson and Enns was on it, Breker said.Misha Pavelick died from stab wound to the heart, murder trial hearsNone of the other men who were involved in altercations with Pavelick that evening could have done it and then placed the knife back in the accused’s hands, Breker argued. An altercation near a tent shortly after the uninvited group arrived at the campground revealed the presence of a third knife in the hands of the accused, he told the jury.Multiple witnesses recalled a few girls from the uninvited group trying to get at a girl who was sleeping in a tent. Kayla Kemp, who was also part of the uninvited group, testified that’s when she heard the accused offer to cut the tent open.Boyfriend of Misha Pavelick’s ex-girlfriend gives his account of night Pavelick diedPavelick was assaulted and fatally stabbed a short time later.Breker noted witnesses said the accused man’s behaviour changed drastically after he learned of Pavelick’s death. Many described him as full of adrenaline and excited immediately after the altercations. When he got word Pavelick died of a stab wound, the accused “started to act like someone who had a guilty conscience” when he pulled over to the side of the highway on the way home from Regina Beach that night, Breker argued.That’s when the accused likely disposed of the knife he used to kill Pavelick, Breker said. He encouraged the jury to consider the evidence as a whole. If they can’t reach the conclusion that the accused delivered the fatal blow, they should remember he engaged in a group fight knowing that some of his friends had weapons, Berker said.“A blow of one is a blow of all.”‘Years of gossip and comparing notes’: DefenceDefence lawyer Andrew Hitchcock argued the case has been tainted by “years of gossip and comparing notes” among witnesses. “That is not an evil act, it’s a human act,” he said.He told the jurors to consider all of the scenarios that could have happened the night Pavelick died. The accused may have been involved in an assault against Pavelick, but they can’t be certain which fight it was, he said. Man accused of killing Misha Pavelick bragged about stabbing someone, Regina murder trial hearsHitchcock said the breakthrough in this nearly 20-year-old old case happened because of Scott Nelson, who had been questioned in connection with Pavelick’s death a handful of times and did not mention the accused until he was interrogated by police in 2021, when he said the accused admitted stabbing someone at the campground. No other witnesses corroborated Nelson’s allegation, and his evidence was inconsistent regarding when he heard the accused say that, Hitchcock argued. “He’s got every reason to lie. It helps him to lie. His claim is not believable,” he said.The Crown’s case is circumstantial, and the evidence could also prove someone else did it, Hitchcock argued. “You certainly can’t be sure he had a knife. That alone is enough to find him not guilty of murder.”The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday. ABOUT THE AUTHORAliyah Marko-Omene is a reporter for CBC Saskatchewan. She has previously worked for CBC and Toronto Star in Toronto. You can reach her at aliyah.marko@cbc.ca.
Closing arguments heard at murder trial for man accused of killing Misha Pavelick at campground in 2006
