Investigators stand on the stair landing where the man's body was found early on May 17. (CBC)

A 15-year-old Edmonton youth charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man found last week on McDougall Hill is a ward of the province, CBC News has learned.

The boy, who was living in an Edmonton group home, is accused of stabbing a 25-year-old man who himself was a product of the child welfare system.

Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, CBC News cannot identify the accused and has chosen not to identify the victim. The victim was found dead early on May 17, with the medical examiner finding he died from a single stab wound.

The youth appeared in court Tuesday morning. Slight, with short, dark hair, and wearing leg shackles, the boy stood in the prisoner's box with his arms folded. The matter was put over until next month at the request of his lawyer.

'It's heartbreaking stuff'

Criminal defence lawyer Ed O'Neill represented the victim eight years ago when, at age 17, the man pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting that he beat his mother's ex-boyfriend to death with a baseball bat.

"I just remember him as being lost and all alone. He was very sad," O'Neill said.

At the time, a judge was told the young man had been abused by his mother — that after drinking and taking drugs during her pregnancy, she went on to leave her son with known child molesters in exchange for drugs and alcohol.

He was taken into government care just before his sixth birthday, and lived in more than 25 foster and group homes. According to the court document, the man started to drink and use drugs.

He couldn't learn in school because of fetal alcohol effect and an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When he was slain, he was still struggling with addictions and living in a downtown Edmonton homeless shelter.

O'Neill was saddened to learn the 15-year-old youth now charged in his former client's death was also in the care of Alberta's child welfare system.

"It saddens me. It's heartbreaking stuff. It's just a vicious cycle. It's tragic," O'Neill said. "You know, these are Edmonton's throwaway children. In this particular case, it was just an ugly and brutal end to a very short and brutal life."

Along with the second-degree murder charge, the 15-year-old also faces weapons offences.