Calgary man accused in beating, drugging death found not guilty of manslaughter

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 26, 2025 8:35 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

A Calgary antheral accused of participating successful the beating, drugging and dismemberment decease of a unfortunate whose remains were aboriginal recovered connected First Nations onshore westbound of the metropolis has been recovered not blameworthy of manslaughter, but blameworthy of accessory aft the information to murder.

Jason Tait was connected proceedings implicit the past 3 weeks, accused of participating successful oregon encouraging the onslaught connected Keanan Crane, 22, successful April 2022.

After closing arguments connected Monday, jurors received last instructions connected however to use the instrumentality to their deliberations and were sequestered starting Tuesday evening.

• Victim beaten, drugged, dismembered, jurors perceive connected Day 1 of Calgary manslaughter trial

The verdict comes aft jurors heard 3 weeks of grounds successful the case. 

Crane was beaten, drugged with fentanyl and dismembered connected April 7, 2022. 

Prosecutors told jurors that Crane, a low-level cause dealer, owed wealth to his brag aft his drugs were seized during a postulation stop. 

That brag was Tait's roommate.

• 'Things escalated': Man connected proceedings for manslaughter testifies helium was lone a witnesser to fatal beating, drugging

On the nighttime helium was killed, respective radical were astatine Tait's northeast location drinking and doing drugs.

When Crane showed up with 2 friends, helium got into an statement with Tait's roommate.

The Crown's mentation of the lawsuit was that Tait and his roommate encouraged the location guests to onslaught Crane.

Tait testified helium witnessed the onslaught but did not participate.

Victim bound, drugged

The unfortunate was kicked, punched and taped up earlier a "shot" of fentanyl was administered. 

The aesculapian examiner could not find a origin of death. After the beating and drugging, Crane's assemblage was dragged into Tait's bath and dismembered. 

His remains were driven to an country westbound of the city. Body parts were aboriginal recovered connected the Mînî Thnî First Nation, formerly known arsenic Morley.

Days aft the killing, Tait told jurors helium cleaned humor up from his bathroom. 

'Teach him a lesson'

Calgary constabulary targeted Tait in an undercover cognition arsenic portion of their homicide investigation.

Of the killing, Tait told 1 UCO "we fto the young guys bash it" due to the fact that "we had to thatch him a lesson."

He testified helium exaggerated his relation due to the fact that helium was "trying to beryllium tough" and wanted to enactment for the men who'd offered to wage him for small, casual tasks. 

Court of King's Bench Justice Janice Ashcroft volition perceive sentencing submissions from defence lawyer Adam Klassen and prosecutors Stephanie Morton and Aleksandra Simić astatine a aboriginal date.