Blood found at seriel killer suspect's home, court hears
A blood stain analyst in the murder trial of Robert Pickton said today massive amounts of blood were found on a mattress in a mobile home on the pig farm where he is alleged to have killed at least 26 women.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt Jack Mellis held a large book of colour photos of the motor home, which his team began searching on February 7, 2002.
As the trial began its fourth week, the testimony focused on the sleeping platform at the rear of the dilapidated home. Mellis said it appeared that "bloodletting" had taken place on or above the foam mattress and in other parts of the mobile home.
"The stains at these location are indicative of the mattress being in a position at the time of bloodletting," he said, adding the "passive soaking is consistent with a bleeding person, bleeding continually".
Prosecutors alleged in their opening statement they believe the 56-year-old pig farmer lured sex-trade workers and drug addicts from Vancouver's seedy Downtown Eastside neighbourhood out to his farm, where he killed them and disposed of the bodies by feeding them to his pigs.
Pickton is currently standing trial for six counts of first-degree murder. Pickton, who has pleaded innocent, faces another 20 counts of murder at a subsequent trial.
His defence lawyer has suggested Pickton is mentally challenged and might not have understood questioning by police.
Meticulously taking the jury through photos taken inside the motor home, Mellis said the headboard had "stains consistent with a hand transfer wipes in a downward direction".
He told the 12-person jury on the carpet area in the sleeping area, he found "probable cast-off drops that are shed from a moving hand".
Mellis, testifying before British Columbia Supreme Court Justice James Williams, is the ninth of an estimated 240 witnesses the prosecution has suggested will be called to testify.
