The medical examiner took the stand Monday, at the start of the the third week of Justin Bone’s second-degree murder trial over the deaths of two men in Edmonton’s Chinatown area.
Medical examiner Tara Dixon performed the autopsies on Ban Phuc Hoang and Hung Trang.
Bone is accused of killing both men on May 18, 2022, just a few blocks away from the Edmonton law courts where he is on trial.
The victims worked near each other in the area directly north of downtown: Hoang at Universal Electronics and Trang a block away at Albert’s Autobody Shop.
Police initially responded that afternoon to an assault on Trang at an auto body shop near 106 Avenue and 98 Street, before quickly discovering Hoang had also been hurt a block away. They both died of their injuries.
In court, Dixon testified the level of force used would have been severe to cause the injuries on both men.
Dixon told the court Hoang had broken teeth and blunt force injuries to his face and neck. He also had fractures on his neck, his voice box was broken, and he had a nasal bridge fracture. She said the injuries could have come from a punch or a kick.
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“We know that he has a blunt force injury on his head from multiple different directions,” Dixon said.
Dixon was asked how much force could have been used for this kind of injury, and she said it’s hard to tell but that it would have been severe.
Dixon said Trang also had extensive facial fractures. He had more testing done as he was resuscitated and brought to hospital, where staff did a CT scan. It showed orbital bone fractures.
Dixon said in her examination, she saw Trang had nasal fractures and blunt force injuries around his face and forehead. He also had multiple broken bones around his eyes.
She said in her opinion, Hoang and Trang’s cases were very similar, with both having blunt force trauma to the head and minimal injuries elsewhere.
The defence asked Dixon if the injuries could have happened if Hoang had fallen into an object. She testified it was a possibility.
The defence also asked if pre-existing conditions with Trang could have played a role in his death.
Dixon said the extensive injuries around his eyes could cause oculocardiac reflex: a potentially fatal condition caused by pressure on the eye that leads to a decrease in heart rate.
She said if Trang was healthy, she would still suspect he would died from his injuries.
Before the next witness, Bone stood up to address the court on Monday.
Bone told the judge he feels threatened by the court and threatened by all the people.
“Obviously, this happened, and it’s not me who did this and I have to sit here and listen to all these people,” Bone said.
The judge told Bone that it’s the Crown’s role to prove if Bone is guilty beyond reasonable doubt — not to make Bone feel threatened.
The judge also told Bone that it’s his job to ensure the trial is completed.
Earlier in the trial, Bone fired his counsel. The next day, he had agreed to take his lawyer back. He has a history of doing that.
Bone was not known to either of the victims.
Bone has a lengthy criminal history that includes aggravated assaults, thefts, mischief, and failing to comply with his court-ordered conditions.
He has a lifetime firearms ban stemming from a sexual interference conviction.
The trial is scheduled until late February.
— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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