WINNIPEG — The jury trial of Gina Swanson started Monday, and only hours into the case, disturbing details were heard, including how her father found her body.
Schuyler Vanwissen, 31, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Gina Swanson, 33, in 2011.
The 12 member jury heard Swanson, a single mother, was found dead in her Fort Garry home by her father Dennis Swanson on May 14.
A videotaped statement from the father (taken the day he found her body) was played for the jury Monday.
He said that morning he received a call from Gina’s boss saying she had not showed up for work. He then drove to her home, which was a few minutes away.
“I banged on the door for a few minutes then went around the house and looked in the windows,” said Swanson. But said he didn’t see anything.
His wife then arrived with a key to the house. He told her to wait in the car while he went inside.
“I opened the door…I saw, umm Gina laying on her back I saw a knife embedded in her chest area,” said Swanson during a 45 minute police interview at the Public Safety Building.
“I took one step forward and saw there was no life, I backed out of the house and closed the door.”
He then called 9-11.
Swanson said his daughter had an alarm system, would dead bolt all her doors shut at night, and slept next to a baseball bat over fears of a jealous ex.
She was a single mother to a seven-year old girl.
A forensic identification officer said he took over 2400 photos at the crime scene and noted there was no sign of forced entry into the home.
Meantime, the three week trial started off with a bang Monday.
One alternate juror didn’t show up for the opening address and when Judge Richard Saull asked why, the jury manager said, “he felt like he had better things to do today.”
Judge Saull quickly issued an arrest warrant for the juror who was later brought in to explain himself to the judge.
During the course of the trial the jury will hear from witnesses who last saw Swanson at a social just hours before she was killed, an alarm system expert, and a man who was in possession of Swanson’s bank card.
The jury will also hear from Vanwissen’s ex-girlfriend, who will describe his whereabouts the day of the murder.
Vanwissen sat in the prisoners box wearing a grey suit appearing relaxed as he listened to testimony.
The trial will last three weeks.