Prosecution in Saskatoon murder trial down to final witness

The Crown is expected to call its final witness Wednesday in the Leo Daniels murder trial in Saskatoon.

Daniels, 39, is charged with first-degree murder, unlawful confinement and robbery in the August2019 death of Richard Fernuk.

Fernuk,68, was found dead and tied to a chair in his apartment on Aug. 3.

Prosecutor Sheryl Fillo anticipates calling forensic pathologist Shaun Ladham as her final witness. Ladham will testify to cause of death.

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On Tuesday, the line-up of witnesses changed when defence lawyer Blaine Beavenconceded a point that Fillo had been working to establish. It concerned what happened to Fernuk's Samsung cellphone after his death.

Earlier in the trial,Fillo had begun calling officers who had been assigned to trackdown the cellphone. The Crownshoweda video from the Senator Hotel that apparently showedDaniels selling a cellphone to a man named CarnellDaniels. It's notknownwhether the two men are related.

Sgt. Les Brauner testified that, on Aug. 8, 2019, he tracked the phone to a house on Avenue H North by following "pings" on its locator. While inside the house, he met Carnell Daniels, who was carrying a black Samsung. Braunercalled Richard Fernuk's number and the device in Carnell Daniels's hand rang.

Carnell Daniels was arrested and charged with possessing stolen property.