William Sandeson’s first-degree murder retrial continued in a Dartmouth courtroom Tuesday with testimony from two forensic officers, as well as the brother of the accused.
The focus for the officers was the Henry Street apartment and video recordings there.
Meanwhile, Adam Sandeson told the court about marijuana that William stored in his basement prior to his arrest.
The now–30-year-old stands accused in the death of fellow Dalhousie University student, Taylor Samson, 22, who went missing in August 2015.
Sandeson is accused of fatally shooting Samson during a drug deal and later disposing of his body.
Adam, 27, testified that his brother asked to come over to do laundry on Aug. 17, 2015 — something Adam said wasn’t uncommon.
The Crown reviewed text messages between the two brothers.
At about 8 p.m. that day, William arrived and Adam testified that the conversation was pretty general. But William mentioned “there might be something that stinks in your basement.”
After William left, Adam testified that he was curious, and went to the basement to find a backpack that was “full” of marijuana.
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Adam testified the next day, William told him that it wasn’t his and wouldn’t be there for long, but that there was more than what was in the backpack.
Adam found a box in his basement that he suspected was also filled with marijuana.
He told the trial that a day later, he went to the family home in Truro, N.S. after learning Sandeson was charged with kidnapping and left the marijuana with roommates.
Adam also revealed to the court that he believed William would occasionally sell marijuana to friends, and that he tried to buy magic mushrooms from William for one of his roommates.
The Crown also called David Webber, who was a civilian forensic lab tech for Halifax Regional Police (HRP) at the time.
He obtained security video from William Sandeson’s Henry Street apartment unit, showing Sandeson and Samson — who was carrying a large duffel bag — entering the apartment before 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 15, 2015.
He testified the footage from the three cameras — one in the hallway, one in the stairway, and outside the Halifax apartment — shut off after 11:30 p.m. The exterior camera turned back on at about 1:00 a.m., while the two interior camera feeds restarted after 3:30 a.m.
The video never shows Samson leaving the apartment. His body has never been found.
A verdict from a trial in 2017 was overturned on appeal and this second trial was ordered in 2020.
The Crown began the day by calling Sgt. Sandra Johnston, who works in the forensic identification section with HRP, back to the stand to continue her testimony from Monday.
The jury watched some video Johnston shot from Sandeson’s apartment.
Alison Craig, Sandeson’s lawyer, asked if contamination would be a concern because at least seven police officers were in the apartment prior to the murder investigation.
“It could” be a concern, she said.
She also testified officers found a bullet, which the trial had heard Monday was found in a window frame in the kitchen. Johnston said police also discovered a bullet in the chamber of a handgun that was seized from the unit.
The retrial continues Wednesday.
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