Twenty pounds of marijuana, a bag smelling like decomposition and a shower curtain were just some of the items a Halifax Regional Police officer said he located while processing three separate scenes related to the homicide of Taylor Samson, 22.
William Sandeson, 24, is accused of killing Samson in the summer of 2015.
His body was never found.
Items of interest found at Sandeson family farm
Det.-Const. Illya Nielsen told the court on Tuesday that he processed Sandeson’s car, an apartment on Chestnut Street in Halifax and a property in Lower Truro, N.S., as part of the investigation.
Nielsen testified he was called to the Sandeson family farm on the evening of Aug 27, 2015 after police found items of interest on the property.
Nielsen said he located a refrigerator – or ice cream truck – at the farm. Inside, there was a blue Adidas bag which Nielsen described as having a “strong, decomposing, rotting smell” and three garbage bags.
A large black duffel bag was located inside the Adidas bag. Inside the garbage bags, Nielsen said he found wet towels, paper towels, a blue tarp and a black and white shower curtain.
Nielsen also testified that a trail of litter was found near the truck, some of the items he located included a Bank of Montreal letter addressed to William Sandeson and a Dalhousie University student planner.
READ: Last images of Taylor Samson shown to jury in William Sandeson murder trial
20lbs of marijauna found at Sandeson’s brother’s apartment
Nielsen said he entered and photographed a Chestnut Street apartment on Aug. 21, 2015 before officers from the major crime and drug units searched the property.
He told the jury he found a cardboard box and a backpack in the basement of the residence that contained vacuum sealed bags of marijuana.
In total, 20 pounds of marijuana was found.
Police have alleged that Samson was killed after a prearranged drug deal and that he had gone to meet Sandeson to sell 20 pounds of marijuana for $40,000 on the night he was last seen alive.
WATCH: Murder victim last seen at William Sandeson’s apartment building, prosecutor tells jury
In addition to the drugs, Neilsen said police also located a morph suit in the apartment.
It was tested but Nielsen said no fingerprints or blood was found on it.
Last week, Nicholas Rotta-Loria testified that in August 2015, he lived next to William Sandeson’s younger brother, Adam, at an apartment on Chestnut Street.
He said he and his roommates located a Dalhousie backpack, a box and a small grocery bag in their basement on Aug. 18, 2015.
Rotta-Loria said he and his roommates called lawyer Joel Pink the day after finding the marijuana and turned the drugs over to the Halifax Regional Police.
READ: Witness in William Sandeson’s murder trial heard bang, saw man bleeding in apartment
Car searched, stains tested for blood
Neilsen also testified he examined Sandeson’s vehicle.
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He told the court he removed the trunk liner and cut out sections of the liner that were stained. Nielsen said those pieces were sent away for testing.
Nielsen said that a fingerprint and a palm print found on the vehicle were examined but did not belong to Sandeson.
Under cross-examination, Nielsen confirmed that before he examined the vehicle he was told that it may have been used to transport a body.
He also testified that although all of the stains he located in the trunk of Sandeson’s vehicle were tested, only one sample was possibly human blood.
READ MORE: Former teammate of William Sandeson tells court he saw bleeding man, bloody cash
Sandeson’s former roommate says he was asked not to come home on night of murder
William Sandeson’s former roommate also took the stand Tuesday at the 24-year-old’s first-degree murder trial.
Dylan Zinck, 24, told the seven-man, seven-woman jury he had been living with Sandeson at 1210 Henry St. for nearly a year before he was arrested and charged with murder.
Zinck testified that on the night of Aug. 15, 2015, Sandeson asked him not to come home after 8 p.m.
He said he did go to the apartment briefly, around 7:30 p.m., so he could feed the cats and then left.
Zinck said it was a unusual for Sandeson to ask him not to come home for an entire night, saying in the past, if he was asked not to come by the apartment, it would be for a period of about 20 minutes or so.
WATCH: Jury hears William Sandeson told roommate not to come home on night of alleged murder
The 24-year-old told the court when he arrived that night, the apartment appeared clean.
During the summer of 2015, Zinck testified that he was staying with his girlfriend most evenings and would only come home to check on his cat.
He said the next time he visited his Henry Street apartment was around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015.
During that time, Zinck noted the apartment again looked clean and said Sandeson told him he had thrown out the shower curtain.
Under cross-examination, Zinck told defence lawyer Brad Sarson that he didn’t find it unusual for Sandeson to get rid of the shower curtain because it had mould on it.
WATCH: Murder trial hears from police, Taylor Samson’s girlfriend
Zinck was also questioned by defence lawyers about a roof that he and Sandeson used to barbeque on.
Zinck told the court the roof was easily accessible through the window in his bedroom and by a staircase that was on an adjacent building.
Testimony in the case is scheduled to resume on Wednesday afternoon.
Court resumes Wednesday afternoon
The jury will not resume hearing evidence until 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
That’s because lawyers and the judge are taking part in an in camera hearing and the court is closed to the media and the public.
Global’s Natasha Pace and Cory McGraw will be live blogging from the trial on Wednesday afternoon.
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