Watch above: closing arguments heard at David Woods’ murder trial
SASKATOON – The fate of David Woods will be in the hands of 12 jurors on Thursday as the Crown and defence made their closing arguments in his murder trial on Wednesday.
Woods, 51, is charged with the first-degree murder of his wife Dorothy, who was last seen on Nov. 11, 2011.
Her body was found in a culvert near Blackstrap Lake on Jan. 4, 2012.
During closing arguments, Crown prosecutor Michael Segu could only make suggestions as to when she was murdered and where, but said the who is undoubtedly David Woods.
“I, as the Crown, ask that you consider the evidence not as a piecemeal, a piece here and a piece there, but rather as a whole,” said Segu during his opening summation.
Segu suggest a faltering marriage and financial issues were motives for Woods to kill his wife and suggested Dorothy had told David their marriage was over the night she was last seen alive.
The couple had $285,000 remaining on their mortgage, which was paid off when a life insurance claim was made following Dorothy’s disappearance.
Woods lawyer Michael Nolin tried to plant seeds of reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors.
“If you don’t know when, and you don’t know where, how can you know who?” said Nolin with his opening statement.
Nolin said the fact there is no definite crime scene, no definite murder weapon and no exact date of murder are big questions that were never answered.
He also said there has been no history of violence between the couple and David only displayed violence once, toward their daughter.
Woods also testified that he was being framed, likely by police, a point reiterated by his lawyer during closing arguments.
Key evidence during the trial included Woods travelling south of Saskatoon to the Blackstrap Lake area on Jan. 2, 2012. His movements were tracked by a hidden GPS unit that police had placed in his truck.
The Crown suggested Woods went there to see if Dorothy’s body was still in the culvert, as RCMP had reported the body of a woman had been discovered outside the city.
Woods said he went there after a note was left under the windshield of his truck stating the whereabouts of Dorothy’s body. The note was never produced during the trial.
Other evidence included Woods purchasing poly wrap and rope from a local store one day after his wife disappeared.
Dorothy’s body was found wrapped in poly wrap and an expert testified the rope was the same used around her neck.
Woods testified he purchased the poly wrap for home renovations and rope for the pool tarp.
Questions were also raised about notes found in Woods’ garage on Nov. 17, 2011.
Woods’ home was searched after he met with police that day. Officers thought his answers seemed rehearsed and the search turned up written notes in the garage with the same wording he stated to police during questions.
The jury will be charged by the judge on Thursday morning and suggested they bring along a change of clothes and a toothbrush in case deliberations are lengthy.
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