The ex-girlfriend of a man accused of murdering a young indigenous woman says she loved and trusted him while they were together.
Brett Ronald Overby’s ex-girlfriend Shirley Houle took the witness stand Tuesday afternoon, day two of the trial where Overby is accused of second degree murder in the death of Christine Wood.
The 21-year-old woman from Oxford House disappeared in Winnipeg in 2016. Overby has pleaded not guilty.
Wood and her parents had been staying at the Days Inn hotel in Winnipeg while visiting the city.
Melinda and George Wood left their daughter in the room that evening while running out to get cigarettes. When they arrived back a short time later, they told the court Tuesday she was no longer there.
The Crown alleges she met up with Overby, 32, at his house on Burrows Avenue through the social media dating app Plenty of Fish.
Text messages between Overby and Houle:
Witness Siu Wong also testified, admitting to selling Wood cocaine and that they had hung out “less than 50 times” in the years that he knew her.
Wood sent Wong a message on Facebook just before 1 a.m. on the day she disappeared, but Wong said he was in custody for a DUI and didn’t respond until later. She never responded back.
Wood logged into a social media account using an IP address belonging to the person accused in her homicide, the courtroom heard.
In a video played for the jury, Overby told police he didn’t know how Wood managed to use his WiFi and that he didn’t know who she was.
Overby told detectives he had given his WiFi password to his neighbours the summer before Wood’s disappearance.
“I never checked to see if they actually got off, so I’m not sure if they’re actually still using it,” he told detectives.
When detectives said Wood’s phone was last connected and used through Overby’s WiFi, he laughed nervously.
“Well, I guess I know why I’m here then.”
The trial is expected to continue for the next two weeks.
RELATED: Christine Wood met accused killer through online dating site, Winnipeg jury heard
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