Misha Pavelick succumbed to a fatal stab wound to the heart, revealed testimony in a Regina courtroom on Friday. Dr. Dino Grammatico, a pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Pavelick the day after his death in May 2006, was called to testify at the second-degree murder trial of the individual accused of the teenager’s killing.
The 36-year-old accused, who denies the charge, remains unnamed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act due to being a minor at the time of the incident. The trial, overseen by a jury, is ongoing.
Pavelick, aged 19, met his tragic end after being stabbed at a gathering at the Kinookimaw campground near Regina Beach, situated approximately 45 kilometers northwest of Regina, on May 21, 2006. The prosecution previously stated that Pavelick was engaged in altercations during a tumultuous evening and was ultimately stabbed following an assault by a group of individuals.
Emotions ran high in the courtroom as Pavelick’s family learned that a two-centimeter knife wound on the left side of his chest pierced his heart, causing fatal blood loss.
Dr. Grammatico also noted additional injuries on Pavelick, including a stab wound near his elbow, three cuts on the top of his head, bruises on his face’s right side, knuckles, and above his right buttock. When questioned by Breker about the contribution of these injuries to Pavelick’s demise, Grammatico clarified that they did not play a role, emphasizing the significance of the heart injury which resulted in two liters of blood in his chest, leading to his rapid death.
Testifying on DNA evidence, Melanie Green, an RCMP forensic specialist, mentioned DNA samples collected from several individuals between 2006 and 2021, including Pavelick, Scott Nelson, Derek Enns, Andrew Perkins, an undisclosed witness, and the accused. Nelson, who previously admitted to assaulting Enns on the same night Pavelick died, had his DNA linked to critical evidence.
The trial, overseen by Justice Catherine Dawson, has concluded its second week and is set to resume on Monday morning.