Alex Radita, 15, weighed 37 pounds when he died, murder trial hears

Alex Radita was "emaciated to the fact that he looked mummified" according to the testimony of a paramedic who was called to the Raditahome in May, 2013.

The first-degree murdertrial for Alex's parents,Rodica, 53, and Emil Radita, 59, began Tuesdaymorning.

AlexRadita,15, weighed less than 37 pounds at the time of his death. His physical condition was so disturbing, many of the emergency responders who found the emaciated child insidethe family's homehad to seek psychological services.

"It is hard to imagine what Alexandruexperienced in the last days, weeks and months of his life," prosecutor Susan Pepper said in her opening statement.

"It must have been painful. It must have been profoundly lonely."

• Calgary teen found dead had been in provincial care
• Emaciated teen found dead had history of untreated diabetes

TheRaditasonce had their son seized by B.C. social services after he nearly died from untreateddiabetes the same allegations they nowfacein relation to his death, according to Pepper.

'Nothing left'

When EMS was called to the home in May 2013, they encountered about 20 people who were inside, kneeling, chanting and praying, according to paramedic Debroah Baumback's testimony Monday afternoon.

Once inside, Baumback says she and her team made their way upstairs to Alex's room where they saw him lying on a bed in the middle of the room.

"I actually remember walking in the room thinking 'what the hell is that,'" said Baumback. "[Alex was] emaciated to the fact that he looked mummified."

The boy had sores on his face that were black and necrotic and was so "extraordinarily skinny" that she said there was "nothing left."

Alex was not breathing, he was cold to the touch and had no pulse.

Emil Radita told the paramedics that his son had been diagnosed with diabetes a month earlier and had suffered from chronic diarrhea for a month, said Baumback.

She also testified that Alex's father said he called friends from his church before he called 9-1-1.

'It looked like he was dead'

"At some point the accused knew their plan was killing their son or they knew he was likely to die and they accepted this consequence," said Pepper. "They knew this and yet they continued their plan."

Items seized from the Radita's home includedbaby food from Alex's room, unused insulin, and an unsigned note, written by one of Alex's siblings and introduced as evidence byCst.JeanneDewitt.

The sibling describes walking by Alex's room before he died and seeing his mother lifting the sick boy.

"I saw his face, it was so scary," read the note. "It looked like he was dead."

The sibling then writes about getting a bible and praying with a sister.

"[We] started to pray, the Holy Spirit said he was in paradise."

Complications from diabetes

Policesaid at the time that Alex,who had Type-1 diabetes, died from a bacterial infection that arosefrom complications stemming from neglect and starvation.

The Raditas had several adult children who also lived in the home, but none of them were ever charged.

The family had moved from B.C. several years before Alex's death, where court documents show his parents had a history of refusing to treat the boy's illness.

The trouble began in 2000, when Alex was first diagnosed with diabetes at age three.

Child seized by B.C. social services

The child washospitalizedseveral times before B.C. social services officialsseized him for a year. He was returned to his parents in 2005.

A courtdocumentobtained by CBC News and written by a B.C. judgeoutlinedhow theparents did nottrust their son's diabetes diagnosis and mismanaged the disease, detailinglong periods of time when the boywas notseen by a doctor.

In his written decision to return Alex to his parents about a year after he was removed, thejudge wrotethat hebelieved the boywould be safe at home.

His parents were required to take Alex to a doctor as part of the conditions of his return,but at some pointthey stoppedand moved to Alberta.

Once in Calgary, Alex was home-schooled, and was never taken to see a doctor. He had no contact with the world outside his homeso nobody noticed his deteriorating condition, according to police.

"His parents set themselves up to be the sole keepers of his life and then they withheld that life by denying him the very thingsthat he needed to live; insulin, nutrition and medical care," said Pepper.

Trial by judge

The case hasraised questions about howAlberta and B.C. share social servicesinformation.

The Crown will call more than 30 witnesses over the course of the five-week Court of Queen's Benchtrial.

Originally set to be tried by judge and jury, the couple has chosen to be tried by a judge alone. Justice Karen Horner is overseeing the case.

RodicaRaditais represented by lawyer Andrea Serink, while herhusband, Emil,has retained Jim Lutz.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS |Calgary teen may lose hands after 'incendiary' device goes off
• MORE CALGARY NEWS |'We saw a lot more destruction out there than we've ever seen,' says ATV rider in McLean Creek