Jurors in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench trial must determine if Afrah Abdi is the same man captured on surveillance video fatally shooting Logan Nayneecassum at Aria Food and Spirits

Jurors in the murder trial of Afrah Abdi are facing a crucial decision as they attempt to determine whether the man sitting in the prisoner’s box is the same person shown on a bar’s surveillance video fatally shooting Logan Nayneecassum. Travis Philley, the former bar manager at Aria Food and Spirits, firmly believes that Abdi is the culprit and has identified him as such to the prosecutor. Philley, who knew Abdi as a regular at the Lakewood club, also picked him out from a police photo line-up shortly after the shooting.

Abdi is currently on trial for second-degree murder before Justice Mona Dovell at the Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench. In the first two days of the trial, the jurors were shown hours of footage from the bar, capturing the group of men and women socializing. The video begins with the arrival of the man identified as the shooter just after midnight and continues until the shooting occurred around 3 a.m. CST. The footage, presented both in color and black and white, unfortunately does not include audio.

The video depicts the individuals drinking, doing shots, going outside for cigarette breaks, exchanging fist-bumps and high fives, and sharing laughter. On Wednesday, Philley took the stand to testify about what he witnessed. He described Abdi as one of the regulars who frequented the club on the east side and stated that the night of Nayneecassum’s death was a typical Thursday night.

According to Philley, an argument erupted between Abdi and a group of about five men who arrived near closing time. As the argument escalated, Philley attempted to intervene but was guided away by a co-worker. It was at that moment that he heard what sounded like glass breaking, followed by a man staggering towards the restroom and collapsing. Philley rushed to the man’s aid, later identified as Nayneecassum, and offered reassurances that help was on the way.

Philley used a knife from the bar area to cut open Nayneecassum’s pants and attempted to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. However, Nayneecassum’s injuries were severe, and he succumbed to them within an hour.

Abdi was apprehended six months later after a high-speed chase when he illegally crossed into Montana. The trial has been allocated two weeks for proceedings to unfold and for the jurors to reach their verdict.