The judge presiding over the murder trial of Edward Downey cautioned the jury before testimony began on Friday, telling them that they would be looking at some of the most graphic evidence in the trial thus far.
(**Warning – Graphic Content)
Downey is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Sara Baillie and her five-year-old daughter Taliyah Marsman in July 2016.
Baillie’s body was discovered on July 11, inside the basement suite in Panorama Hills where she lived with her daughter. Taliyah’s body was found several days later on rural property east of the city.
On the first day of the trial, 48-year-old Downey pleaded not guilty to both of the murders.
Friday’s testimony at the Calgary Courts Centre began with Sgt. Jodi Arns, an expert in fingerprint analysis.
Sgt. Arns told the court that she collected the duct tape that had been wrapped around Baillie’s mouth and wrists, making sure to remove it carefully to ensure the fingerprint evidence on the tape was preserved for analysis.
The jury was shown a number of photos from Baillie’s autopsy indicating how the tape had been wrapped around her face, going down from her lower jaw to her neck. The photos were not displayed in the courtroom.
Earlier in the week, Crown prosecutors told the jury that the 34-year-old and her daughter both asphyxiated as a result of the duct tape.
Sgt. Arns said that three partial fingerprints were found on the sticky side of the tape and they matched the accused's own fingerprints.
She then presented the actual duct tape used in the incident to the court, triggering an emotional response from others in the room, in particular Sara Baillie’s aunt who began crying when the evidence was presented.
Following the testimony of Sgt. Arns, CPS Cst. Karl Sudyk, one of the officers involved in the search for Taliyan Marsman, was called by the Crown.
Sudyk spoke of the search for Taliyah's body in the farmland east of Calgary on July 14, 2016. He told the court that nothing was found until the very end of the day.
He said that he and his partner were checking out some foliage near an access road when the body of a girl was found five metres from where they parked.
"I called out to my partner and I said to him, 'We got her!"' Sudyk testified. "I yelled 'Taliyah' to see if there was a reaction."
There was no response.
A closer inspection showed the girl's right arm up above her head and flies around her eyes and mouth, Sudyk told the court.
A number of relatives of the victims ended up leaving during Sudyk's testimony while Colin Marsman, Taliyah's father, slumped forward in his seat with his head in his hands.
The trial, scheduled to last three weeks, is presided over by Justice Beth Hughes. The jury consists of five men and seven women.
Proceedings will resume on Monday.
Follow @CTVInaSidhu for complete coverage of the trial.
(With files from Ina Sidhu and the Canadian Press)