By Taylor MacPherson

Party-goers describe night of drinking, drug use before shooting death

Jan 31, 2017 | 4:31 PM

The second week of a Prince Albert murder trial  got underway with testimony from three witnesses who were present at the house party where 17-year-old Clayton Bear was shot in 2014.

Jordan Christopher Herron, 23, and Orren Johnson, 28, are both charged with first-degree murder for their alleged involvement in Bear’s death.

The first witness to speak in the case yesterday was Miranda Soderberg, Herron’s former girlfriend. Soderberg admitted to changing her story several times, including making an earlier claim that Herron was not present during the shooting which she recanted on the stand. She said Johnson, whom she knew as ‘O’ told her to keep her mouth shut about the circumstances, and said she changed her statements out of fear.

Johnson’s defence lawyer Lisa Trach said there were “very significant differences” between Soderberg’s various statements.

“You really have no idea who came into that house because you were intoxicated and when the bullets started flying you were hiding,” Trach said.

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Trach suggested Soderberg altered her statements to protect Herron. Soderberg said “some feelings get in the way,” but insisted Herron did not shoot Bear.

A friend of Bear’s, Corey Ahenakew, 24, said he was partying at the 27th St. E. home with a group of friends, including Bear, on the night of the shooting. He said they were drinking and using cocaine and marijuana before leaving in a cab to pick up a group of girls, including Soderberg, from another party at around one or two in the morning.

Ahenakew said a man wearing red approached their cab outside the second party, but said he told the man to “beat it” and the group returned to the 27th St. home where they continued drinking.

At some point later in the night, Ahenakew testified, a group of men barged into the house through the front door. He said most of the partiers hid as the group moved through the house and fired off several shots before leaving with one of the female partiers.

Five or ten minutes later, the witness testified, the group returned and “shot up the house again.” He told the jury he heard four or five shots, but was unable to describe any of the suspects. In his 2014 statement to police, Ahenakew stated the men were dressed in red, but yesterday said he could not remember those details.

“I seen my friend was shot,” he said. “He was lying in a room upstairs.”

Ahenakew said police arrived shortly after the second incident. Bear was taken to hospital by paramedics, but later succumbed to his injury.

Today, Jan. 31, the court heard from a third witness. Danielle Josie, 22, testified she was drinking with friends at Johnson’s residence when the group of girls decided to leave for a party at a house on 27th St. She said Herron, “seemed pretty upset” Soderberg was leaving. She also testified the accused was wearing a red T-shirt that night.

Josie said “Jordan and Orren showed up” shortly after her group arrived at the 27th St. home. Although she did not see a gun, Josie said she heard “lots” of gunshots and put her head down on the floor. After they discovered Bear was shot, Josie said she stayed with him and tried to stop the bleeding until police arrived.

Under cross-examination, Josie said she was “pretty drunk” on shots of hard liquor that night, and was still intoxicated and unsure of what she said when speaking to police. She maintained she was positive the two who arrived before the shooting were Herron and Johnson.

“I’m not sure about the stuff I said,” Josie said. “I’m still trying to piece it together myself.”

The trial, which is being held at Prince Albert’s Court of Queen’s Bench, is expected to run into mid-February.

Taylor.MacPherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews

EDITOR’S NOTE: As this case remains before the courts, commenting on this story is closed.