Lead RCMP investigator testifies at Levi Cayen murder trial

Levi Cayen led police on a foot chase through a snowy snowmobile trail the night he was arrested for murder, an RCMP investigator testified Wednesday.

Former head of the RCMP Major Crimes Unit for "G" DivisionSgt. Eric Lanetestified by video that in January 2018, when he and several other officers went to arrest Cayen at a home in Hay River, Cayen ran from them. He said police followed Cayen down a snowmobile trail for a few hundred meters until they were able to arrest him.

Cayen is on trial for first degree murder in connection with the December 2017 death of 25 year-old Alex Norwegian.

According to an audio recording of his arrest played in court, a handcuffed Cayen told police officers he was scared and immediately asked to speak to a lawyer.

Lane, who headed up the small team investigating Norwegian's death, testified that Cayen was then brought to an interview room in the Hay River RCMP Detachment.

Lane told the court that he had to leave the room to spend an hour calling lawyers across the country to find one who was available to speak to Cayen.

A video recording of the interview room where Cayen waitedplayed in court Wednesday.

It showed him grabbing a bible that was on a desk in front of him and reading it for roughly thirty minutes, often aloud.

After spending 30 minutes speaking with a lawyer, Cayen told police he wasn't going to speak to them. Lane testified that Cayen was then fed some pizza and spent the night in custody.

The next day, Cayen was interviewed for more than five hours by an officer, Lane said.

That interview itself was not played in court.

Lane and his team arrived in Hay River from Yellowknife in the days after Norwegian's body was foundin a black vehicle on a remote road outside of Hay River in late December 2017.

He testified that he and other investigators with the Major Crimes Unit interviewed several people and executed a number of search warrants.

He said Cayen first became a suspect after Lane received a call from a friend of co-accused James Thomas's girlfriend. Lane said the person told him that she had said it was Thomas and another unknown man who attacked Norwegian.

In an interview with police, Thomas's girlfriend later admitted to knowing about the attack. Lane said after her interview, his unit arrested James Thomas.

Cayen was arrested two days later.

When asked if any more suspects were ever investigated, Lane said there were a few other leads that his team looked into but that there was "nothing compelling, corroborated or credible that led us to believe that anyone else was responsible".

Cayen's clothes seized

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Alan Regel questioned Lane about why officers seized Cayen's clothes after he was arrested.

Lane told the court that they were seized to be checked for forensic evidence.

Regel then alleged that Cayen's clothes were seized to "manipulate and break him down" into talking to police.

"Absolutely not," Lane answered.

His cross examination continues Thursday.