'He decided to do it again': Crown tells jurors Derek Saretzky planned to kill all 3 victims

After killing Hanne Meketechfor "practice," Derek Saretzkymade a conscious decision to kill again, said prosecutor PhotiniPapadatou in her closing argumentsfollowing three weeks of evidence in a Lethbridge, Alta., courtroom.

"He had time to pause, to reflect.Having thought this through, he decided to do it again," Papadatou told jurors at Saretzky's triple-murder trial.

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Saretzky, 24, who lived inBlairmore,Alta., has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and a charge of performing an indignity to abody. He is accused of killing Meketech, 69, and then five days later killingTerryBlanchette, 27, and his daughter,HaileyDunbar-Blanchette, 2.

Saretzkyconfessed to all three killings in videotaped interviews with police which were played for jurors earlier in the trial. In one video, he tells investigators he beat and stabbedMeketechto death in her home in September 2015 as a practice kill.He said he choseMeketechbecause he didn't think anyone would miss her.

Five days later, on Sept. 14, 2015,Saretzkysays he brokeintoBlanchette'sBlairmorehome armed with a crowbar and a knife and began abloody attack.

"Did he plan to kill Terry? You bet he did," saidPapadatou.

Similarities in crimes: Crown

Though DerekSaretzky'sconfessions arenot enough on theirown to convict him, there is plenty of evidence that corroborates those admissions, said Papadatou.

The senior prosecutor meticulously reviewedthe evidence, which she says matchesSaretzky's confessions and demonstrates planning and deliberation.

Papadatoualso pointed out three similarities between theMeketechand Blanchard killings: that a white van was used in each case, they were both killed at night, attacked in their bedrooms and that both were killed with a combination of blunt force and sharp force injuries.

A piece of paper torn from a notepad found inSaretzky'sapartment is also relevant evidence, saidPapadatou. It's a list of the victims.

Kill list?

Hailey's mother and Blanchette's ex-girlfriend Cheyenne Dunbarwas also on the list. Papadatou reminded jurorsin one of the video tapes, Saretzky told police he didn't know Cheyenne had moved.

But defence lawyer Patrick Edgerton said the Crown's suggestion it's a kill-list doesn't make sense: why would Cheyenne Dunbar's name written as Chy be crossed out, he asked.

Saretzkyhad told a police officer he had feelings for Cheyenne and had once dated her. Last week, she testified they were friends for a few months but were never romantic.

Saretzky knew much of the holdback evidence, whichis information about a crime only known by police, the victim and the perpetrator. In this case,PapadatousaidSaretzkyknew the ways the three were killed, the layout ofMeketech'shome, whatMeketechwas wearing and the fact that a white van was used.

After outlining theMeketechkilling, the Crown moved on to the slayings of the father and daughter.

In one of the videos recorded after that police interview, Saretzkytook investigators to a campsite that belongs to his relatives,about 20 minutes away from the Blanchette home. He re-enacted the killing of the girl and described dismembering her body and performingacts of cannibalism on the toddler before burning her remains.

"How do we knowit's true that he killed her after confessing to it?" Papadatou said to jurors.

"He says 'I can take you to the body' and that's what he does, he takes them to the body."

Police recovered hundreds of bone and tooth fragments from the ashes of the fire pit. Hailey's DNA was also discovered on a toy and in a metal pot nearby. Her blood was also found ona pair of boots seized from Saretzky's apartment.

"This has been a very emotional experience for all of us,"Papadatoutold jurors."Your role is to make a decision on the facts, dispassionately."

Defence arguments

After thanking jurors for their service,Edgerton presented the defence's closing arguments for about 30 minutes.

In the Meketech homicide, he said there were flaws in the evidence and confession, telling jurors the officer who interviewed Saretzky was "pushing him to give answers" with the accused often just agreeing with the investigator rather than offering details.

It was a police officer who asked Saretzky if Meketech's slaying was a practice run for the Blanchette killings. Even though he agreed it was, it was the officer who used the term practice run.

Edgerton also said while his client's confessions to the Blanchette homicides were full of details, there were few when he spoke of Meketech, and Saretzky even got some of them wrong like the number of blows the senior suffered and he didn't mention she had dogs.

Jurors must decide if Saretzky's confessions to killingHailey and her father are reliable, said Edgerton.

"The presumption of innocence means you stand on the side of the accused to begin with."

On Wednesday,Court of Queen's Bench Justice WilliamTillemanwill deliver his final instructions to jurors on how to apply the law during deliberations. Jurors will then be sequestered until a verdict is reached.

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