Trial proceedings are now underway in Lethbridge for accused triple murderer Derek Saretzky.
Saretzky, 24, was in court in person wearing a blue prison jumpsuit. He was arraigned on Monday morning.
He pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Terry Blanchette, his two-year-old daughter Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, and 69-year-old Hanne Meketech.
He also pleaded not guilty to causing an indignity to the human remains of Dunbar-Blanchette.
TIMELINE: Murders of Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, Terry Blanchette and Hanna Meketch
The case is starting with pre-trial applications that are expected to take several weeks. The trial proper will get underway at the end of the month with jury selection scheduled for May 25 and 26.
The trial by judge and jury is anticipated to begin on May 29 and run until June 30.
Blanchette was found dead inside his Blairmore, Alta., home in September 2015, but his two-year-old daughter wasn’t there. That prompted officials to issue an Amber Alert. People from all over North America searched for the little girl, hoping and praying she would be found alive.
Dunbar-Blanchette’s remains were later found in a rural area outside of Blairmore, in southwestern Alberta.
READ MORE: Derek Saretzky to go directly to trial for 3 counts of first-degree murder
Saretzky was later charged with the death of Meketech, who was killed five days before the others.
The voir dire (a “trial within a trial”) is being held to determine the admissibility of some evidence.
Evidence presented in the voir dire is protected by a publication ban.