The jury in the murder trial for a man accused of randomly stabbing a Calgary woman in the Beltline three years ago was presented with a knife with visible blood stains and graphic crime scene photographs on Day 3.
Michael Adenyi is on trial for first-degree murder in the death of 30-year-old Vanessa Ladouceur.
The personal trainer and fitness facility manager was walking to work along 10th Avenue S.E. in the early morning of March 18, 2022, when she was killed.
According to the Crown, CCTV footage revealed Adenyi followed Ladouceur on bike and then on foot before tackling her into an alcove and stabbing her eight times in 11 seconds.
Forensic crime scene investigator Const. Ian Oxton described the crime photos presented to the jury.
They included several large blood stains, smears and spatters.
One blood smear was highlighted by the Crown, photographed next to investigators’ L-shaped ruler, which is 15 by 30 centimetres in length.
A photograph of a large kitchen knife was also shown in court.
“The blade length is approximately 20 centimetres. … You can see the red staining, and you can also see the tip of the blade is bent,” said Oxton.
He then presented the knife to the jury and remeasured the blade in person.
Oxton also testified to initially meeting the accused while in custody at the Foothills Medical Centre, where he was taken into custody after showing up with injuries.
He said Adenyi had several cuts to his hands.
“They were very large and very deep,” he said.
Several officers from the K-9 unit also testified Wednesday to the discovery of the knife under a parkade ramp at the Calgary Tower.
The accused kept a calm demeanour and kept his gaze to the screens showing the photos.
Several of Ladouceur’s family members, including her mother and older sister, have been in the gallery to watch the trial.
Several members of the public were also in attendance on Wednesday.
The trial is scheduled to run until April 25.
