Murder trial witness says he heard argument over bottle of vodka

The beating that led to Charlotte Lafferty'sdeath may have begun in a disputeover a bottle of vodka, a Yellowknife jury heard Tuesday.

Lafferty, 23, was found beaten to death the morning of March 22, 2014, near Fort Good Hope's seniors' complex.The accused, who was 17 years old at the time of Lafferty's death, haspleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His name cannot be published under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The jury trial started last week in N.W.T. Supreme Court and is expected to continue for two more weeks.

Miranda McNeely, a cousin ofLafferty's and a friend, told the court that she, Lafferty and the accused went to her mother's house that morning,after a night of drinking at different houses in Fort Good Hope.

McNeely said they were looking for another party to go to, but at the last minute she changed her mind and decided to stay there.

She said as Lafferty left, she asked if she could have a mickey of vodka McNeely had just opened. McNeely handed it to Lafferty, who tucked it into her jacket sleeve, just before leaving with the accused. She said Lafferty agreed to phone her when she got to the next party.

McNeely went to her mother's room and lay down with the phone beside her. She says a short time later, she heard her name called out in a voice that sounded like Lafferty's. She sat up, but heard nothing else.

McNeely says Lafferty and the accused left her house at about 6:45 a.m.

LeonTaureauJr., a friend of bothLaffertyand the accused, testified that shortly after that he stepped outside for a cigarette and heard a man and a woman fighting over a mickey.

He said the man swore at the woman and demanded to know where her mickey was.

"The girl sounded scared, like she was being hit or something," said Taureau.

The jury also heard about Facebook messages the accused sent to Rene Bonifaceearlier that night. In them, the accused offered to "match a mickey" to bring a bottle to his place to drink along with one Bonifacewould provide.

The messages were sent at around 1 a.m.

A bottle of vodka likely the one Lafferty got from McNeely was found in the snow near her body.