Final arguments expected today in Douglas Hales murder trial

Today, defense and crown prosecutors are expected to enter their final arguments in the Douglas Hales murder trial.

Hales is charged with First Degree murder in the death of Daleen Bosse in 2004. At the time, Bosse was a fourth-year student at the University of Saskatchewan.

Hales' version of events has changed over the years.

In 2008, Hales told undercover police officers that he had strangled Bosse, then burned her body. He then hid the remains at a secluded party spot outside of Saskatoon.

However, after his arrest, Hales said he lied to police. He now claims to have embellished his story to make himself look more attractive to what he believed was a criminal organization trying to recruit him.

Hales now says Bosse died from alcohol poisoning. He says he panicked after waking up and seeing her lifeless body, so he burnedit.

Tough questions

Crown prosecutor Matt Miazga wrapped up two days of cross-examining Hales Wednesday, asking him tough questions about his evolving story.

Miazga asked Hales why he had provided the undercover officers with such detailed information, for example, going into depth about how he placed a pillow over Bosse's head and stomped on her face repeatedly.

"Nobody told you to give them details, did they?" asked Miazga. "The only thing you were told to do was to take them to the spot (where Bosse was killed)."

Hales told the prosecutor repeatedly he was trying to impress the undercover police, and gave them graphic details because he had no physical evidence of the murder to show them.