A B.C. man pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder Monday in the death of a man in Haines Junction in 2022.

Seth Boss, 24, instead pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, but the Crown did not accept the plea, and a trial went ahead.

Boss was charged with second-degree murder in 2023 in the death of Anthony Primozic.

The 25-year-old was found dead in his home in Haines Junction on March 9, 2022. 

At the trial, the court heard an agreed statement of facts, which described the events leading up to Primozic’s death. It said that Boss caused Primozic’s death in the early hours of March 9, 2022 “by inflicting multiple blunt and sharp force injuries to his head, neck and chest.”

The court heard that Boss was a resident of Lower Post, B.C. and arrived in Haines Junction around March 7, 2022 to visit family. Boss stayed with his grandfather who lived in the village. 

It said that Boss and Primozic were previously familiar with each other, but there was no evidence that Boss had a motive to harm Primozic.

The statement continues to say that on the evening of March 8, Boss arrived at his aunt, Kim Boss’ house carrying alcohol he was consuming. Kim Boss described him as drunk at that time.

Later that night, Boss purchased a 15-pack of beer and cigarettes at the Kluane Park Inn, and security camera footage also shows Boss consuming more alcoholic drinks from the bar.

After Boss left the Inn, he encountered Primozic, who recognized him. In a recorded phone conversation that was analyzed after Primozic’s death, Primozic can be heard saying he saw Boss walking on the road, and he hadn’t seen him in “like four years.”

In the early hours of March 9, Primozic and Boss went to Primozic’s house. Primozic died between approximately 2:20 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., the statement said.

Boss returned to his grandfather’s house at about 4 a.m. and left the village that evening to return to Lower Post. 

Primozic’s mother found his body at 7 p.m. on March 9 when she went to check on her son.

The statement said there was evidence to suggest that Primozic and Boss consumed alcohol at Primozic’s house, but there was no blood alcohol reading for Boss that night, as he was arrested a year after Primozic’s death.

The Crown also called its first witness on day one of the trial. Sgt. Tara Wilson testified by video from Lloydminster, Alta. She was a forensic identification specialist with Whitehorse RCMP in 2022. 

Wilson testified that she arrived at Primozic’s house the night of March 9 and took photos of the scene.

Wilson described those photos and autopsy photos to the court. She also testified that upon searching the scene, police found two empty liquor bottles, an empty box of Budweiser, and a black backpack. The agreed statement of facts said Boss was carrying a black backpack that night. 

Police also seized four firearms, including an air gun, from Primozic’s house and collected 14 blood samples from the scene, Wilson said.

The Crown is calling its second witness, a forensic pathologist, Tuesday. The trial is expected to last for three weeks.