Accused in Chinatown killings representing himself in separate trial on breaking and entering

Madeline Smith · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The antheral charged successful a treble homicide successful Edmonton's Chinatown is successful tribunal this week, representing himself successful a abstracted complaint of breaking and entering.

In July 2021, Justin Bone was arrested connected accusations of breaking into and robbing a condo successful the Boyle Street area.

Less than a twelvemonth later, helium was arrested again — just a fewer blocks westbound of the gathering — and charged with second-degree murder in the killings of Hung Trang and Ban Phuc Hoang.

At the time, Bone was nether bail conditions related to the break-in, including staying distant from Edmonton but for circumstantial appointments. However, aft the family person lodging him successful Alberta Beach called constabulary with concerns astir his behaviour, Bone was dropped disconnected successful Edmonton by RCMP officers.

The proceedings connected the execution charges was cancelled past autumn aft a justice concluded it wasn't acceptable to determination ahead, with Bone repeatedly parting ways with defence lawyers.

Bone has cycled done 4 antithetic lawyers. The astir recent — a lawyer who had gone connected the grounds doubly to support Bone — near the lawsuit past month, for the 2nd time.

Bone has not yet gotten caller ineligible representation. When helium appeared successful tribunal connected Monday for the proceedings related to the break-in, helium asked for it to beryllium adjourned, stating "I'm not qualified to tally this."

Crown authoritative Fabian Rogozinski pointed retired that this is the 4th clip proceedings dates person been acceptable for this case. Court of King's Bench Justice Kent Teskey ruled it would spell ahead.

Without defence counsel, a different lawyer has been appointed arsenic an amicus curiae, oregon person of the court, to assistance with the proceedings.

Witnesses attest astir the break-in

During the Monday trial, two witnesses identified Bone arsenic the idiosyncratic down a chaotic country and break-in at their condo gathering astir 4 years ago.

Ian Crichton told the tribunal he'd seen Bone the erstwhile day, alleging that portion helium was taking retired his garbage, helium noticed him breaking a solid doorway astatine different adjacent building.

He said helium later had a verbal speech with Bone from his beforehand yard, and Bone threw thing astatine him — helium didn't cognize what it was astatine the time. A few days later, helium said helium recovered a cardinal that helium thought mightiness person belonged to Bone.

Crichton said the adjacent day, he was lying connected his sofa successful his ground-floor unit erstwhile idiosyncratic abruptly opened his patio surface door.

"He said, 'I privation my s--t back.' I reached for my telephone to telephone 911, and helium jumped connected apical of maine and said, 'You're not going to telephone anybody.'"

Bone cross-examined the homeowner from the prisoner's box, asking him to spell implicit the bid of events again.

"You jumped connected apical of me. We struggled, we punched backmost and forth," Crichton said.

He described however he eventually managed to get to his feet and leave the apartment, wherever helium testified that helium could spot Bone looking done his belongings, taking his enactment ID and keys earlier leaving to the condo hallway.

He called 911 and began pursuing Bone, who was arrested a abbreviated clip later.

The proceedings is acceptable to proceed this week.

Bone's second-degree execution proceedings is presently scheduled for aboriginal 2026.