Mike on Crime

By Mike McIntyre
Winnipeg Free Press

A Winnipeg man was stabbed to death in broad daylight outside a busy 7-Eleven store — yet there are apparently no witnesses who can identify the culprit, a jury heard Wednesday.

Daniel Benjamin Kachkan, 31, began his Court of Queen’s Bench trial by pleading not guilty to second-degree murder.

Crown attorney Gerry Bowering said in his opening statement the case against Kachkan is largely “circumstantial” and revolves around two phone calls made by the victim just prior to his death.

Aaron Hannibal, 31, suffered 19 separate wounds to his upper body including three that pierced his heart and caused him to quickly bleed out in the parking lot of the convenience store at Talbot Avenue and Watt Street.

Witnesses reported seeing Hannibal “scuffling” with another man they couldn’t identify just after 6 p.m., said Bowering.

It was moments later Hannibal collapsed with as many as 15 people surrounding him, including an off-duty nurse who performed CPR on the victim.
The first police officer on scene told jurors Hannibal’s shirt was soaked with blood and his eyes had rolled back, indicating he was possibly dead before the ambulance even arrived.

The Crown will call Hannibal’s friend who went with him to the store that day to for an apparent meeting.

“Hannibal… appeared agitated. It appeared he was preparing for an altercation,” Bowering said.

The friend waited around the corner for Hannibal and didn’t see the fatal attack, he added.

Bowering said Hannibal made two cellphone calls to Kachkan just prior to the stabbing.

Kachkan was arrested eight days later.

Police were unable to recover the murder weapon, he said.

Hannibal was a member of the Zig Zag Crew, the puppet club of the Hells Angels in Winnipeg.