Dead infants in Winnipeg: Andrea Giesbrecht makes 1st court appearance

Andrea Giesbrecht sat silent and expressionless as she made her first court appearance — via video feed from the women's jail — in connection with the six dead infants found in a Winnipeg storage locker.

Giesbrecht, wearing a grey sweatshirt and track pants, sat hunched over at times, hands in her lap, as her lawyer, Greg Brodsky, addressed the court on Thursday.

Brodsky, who noted there will be six autopsies on the remains found Monday afternoon, said he doesn't think it's fair the Crown will control the evidence from them. He wants the court to appoint an independent pathologist to oversee the autopsies.

Brodsky also wants the autopsies to be filmed. An autopsy is an interference with evidence, he said, noting he wants someone independent to watch and ensure it's done right.

"As good as people are, sometimes you miss things and sometimes another set of eyes, if you're acting appropriately, is not a bad thing to have. And all I'm asking for is another set of eyes," he said.

The judge said he needs time to consider Brodsky's request and will need to set a court date to hear arguments for it. 

The Crown attorney then noted, for the record, that the provincial medical examiner's pathologists are independent.

Prior to adjourning the hearing, the judge advised Giesbrecht, 40, that her next court date is Nov. 12, but Giesbrecht had no response.

Brodsky repeated the date to her but there was still no response, still no expression before she got up to leave the correctional centre room where she was on the live feed.

Giesbrecht is charged with six counts of concealing bodies of infants after the remains were found in a U-Haul storage locker in Winnipeg's West Alexander neighbourhood.

U-Haul employees made the grim discovery when they went in to clear out the locker because rental payments had not been made.

Police initially said they believed there were three or four bodies found in various states of decomposition, but they later increased that to six.

The autopsies on the remains will determine the cause of death, gender and ages. The forensic examination and DNA analysis will also help determine whether Giesbrecht is the mother to any or all of the babies.

Giesbrecht has also been charged with breach of probation in connection with court orders stemming from two fraud convictions in 2012.