WARNING: This story contains graphic details which may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
The trial of a Vancouver man accused of murdering a couple in their Marpole home two years ago resumed Monday, with the Crown presenting key DNA evidence.
Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kam has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 68-year-old Richard Jones and 64-year-old Dianna Mah-Jones at their home near West 64th Avenue and Hudson Street on Sept. 27, 2017.
The couple’s bodies were found stacked in the shower of their West Side home, in a scene that police have described as “catastrophic.”
The prosecution says Richard Jones suffered 103 “sharp force injuries” and that Mah-Jones suffered “blood loss from a laceration to the carotid artery.”
On Monday, forensic expert Lindsay Carter told the court that Kam’s DNA was found on a knife, one of the murder weapons recovered from the scene.
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“There is a one in 630-quintillion chance you’d find someone else with the same DNA match” said Carter.
The court has already heard from several witnesses who described seeing a knife and a hatchet outside the home on the day the couple was found dead.
Carter testified that Mah-Jones’ blood was found on the inside hinge of Kam’s glasses and his DNA was found under Maj-Jones’ fingernails.
People who know Mah-Jones say she was small, but she was strong and would have fought for her life.
DNA experts have been taking the stand since last week, with the Crown going through meticulous details with witnesses regarding how DNA evidence was handled, labelled, reviewed and whether procedures were followed to prevent contamination.
Crown has not presented an expert to testify about the hatchet found at the scene, but the prosecution has previously told the court that both Mah-Jones’ and Jones’ DNA was found on the tool.
Defence Glen Orris questioned several of the DNA experts about why the evidence remained in their possession months after they were tested. The witnesses said they followed standard operating procedures.
Crown’s theory is that Kam bought a hatchet, along with a baseball cap and pair of gloves, at Canadian Tire in the days before the slayings with the intent to kill someone.
However, the Crown says Kam did not know the murdered couple.
The court has already seen video evidence of a man police say is Kam purchasing the items.
The trial is slated to resume Tuesday with Kam’s defence cross-examining the DNA expert.
Crown is expected to wrap its case by the week of Oct. 15, at which point the defence will lay out its case — and its theory of what happened.
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