William Sandeson’s first-degree murder retrial heard from a Halifax Regional Police officer on Wednesday who searched a farm in Lower Truro, N.S., as well as his brother’s Halifax apartment and a vehicle linked to Sandeson in 2015.
Sandeson, now 30, stands accused in the death of fellow Dalhousie University student Taylor Samson, 22, who went missing in August 2015.
He is accused of fatally shooting Samson during a drug deal and later disposing of his body.
Det. Const. Illya Neilsen testified that on Aug. 21, 2015, he attended Adam Sandeson’s Chestnut Street apartment to execute a controlled drugs and substances search warrant. The trial previously heard on Tuesday that William Sandeson left what was suspected to be marijuana in his brother’s basement just before the murder investigation.
On Wednesday, Neilsen described photographing and seizing a green cannabis-like substance from a Kitchen Aid box and many vacuum-sealed bags from the unit.
When the Crown asked Neilsen to describe evidence in front of the jury, he described the contents to be 20 pounds of cannabis.
Farm search
Neilsen then testified about a search at a farm on Aug. 28 and 29, 2015.
He said he seized items inside and around an old refrigeration truck on the property. There were several garbage bags and a disinfectant spray can.
He also found mail in the area that was from a bank and addressed to William Sandeson.
In the truck, he said there was a blue Adidas gym bag. While reviewing photos with the Crown, he told the trial there was a black duffel bag inside it containing orange towels.
Neilsen said it had a “strong smell of, like, rotting meat, a very unpleasant smell.”
A shower curtain and rings were also seized. The trial has already heard that similar items were missing from William Sandeson’s apartment washroom.
Vehicle in Sandeson’s name tested for blood
Neilsen then described searching a black Mazda Protege5 with a permit in William Sandeson’s name. He said officers discovered fingerprints on the vehicle, but did not say to whom they belonged.
He told the jury he used a chemical called Bluestar that would illuminate if it detected the presence of blood, among other substances.
Parts of the trunk, such as the latch, lit up in that blue colour.
Asked by the Crown if the Bluestar results piqued his interest, Neilsen said “absolutely.”
“Bluestar is a search tool, we use it to search for blood, so when we get a positive result, that would tell us that this is something we want to pay further attention to,” he told the trial.
Each area was swabbed and tested using a Hemostick, he said. All but one area “came back with a very weak positive result,” with the exception of one that was “a very strong hit,” he said.
Further testing with an OBTI test yielded a positive result.
Samson’s 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 retrial continues Thursday.
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