The skull of a man allegedly beaten to death by his nephew last summer resembled a jigsaw puzzle during his autopsy, a judge has been told.
Shane Gyoba, 29, is standing trial on a charge of second-degree murder in connection to the death of his uncle, Ed Gyoba.
The elder Gyoba died on June 2, 2014. Court has heard a witness saw Shane Gyoba beating his uncle with a shovel following a fist fight in the front yard of an Ashcroft home.
Taking the stand in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops yesterday was Dr. James Stephen, the pathologist who performed Gyoba’s autopsy two days after his death.
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Stephen said Gyoba died as a result of massive head injuries.
“He died of head injuries suffered as a result of blunt-force trauma to the head,” Stephen said.
“He had a number of injuries to the head. When we’re talking about the head injury, this is a very large injury of bruising to the right side of his scalp, which showed a large depressed skull fracture.”
Stephen said he found eight areas of injury on Gyoba’s body, likely the result of more than six separate blows.
He said the injuries were consistent with a shovel or perhaps a shovel and an axe or a pipe.
Stephen said he found five bone fragments and multiple fracture lines on the right side of Gyoba’s skull.
“I found 10 or more pieces of this jigsaw-like skull fracture,” he said.
“There are multiple fractures at the base of the skull and multiple fractures on the upper part of the globe on the skull.”
Stephen said Gyoba’s mouth had been stuffed with dirt prior to his death.
“There was abundant dirt in the mouth,” he said. “I believe there is good evidence he was alive when the dirt was put in his mouth.
“He swallowed some of the dirt. Dirt was found in his esophagus. He breathed some of the dirt. Dirt was found in his airways.”
Stephen said he believed Gyoba was likely unconscious when he ingested the dirt.
On Wednesday, Gyoba’s widow testified about how Shane Gyoba’s arrival in Ashcroft 15 years ago turned her life upside down.
Barb Gyoba said she was eventually run out of her own home by her “domineering” nephew.
The trial is expected to conclude next week.
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