DNA on Despres's clothes matched that of slain man
Personal items seized from Gregory Despres contained DNA material matching that of one of the people he is accused of killing, the Court of Queen's Bench in Fredericton heard Thursday.
Despres, 25, is accused of killing his elderly neighbours, Fred Fulton, 74, and Verna Decarie, 70. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder.
The two were found dead in their Minto, N.B., home on April 26, 2005. Both had been stabbed repeatedly and Fulton was decapitated.
RCMP biology specialist Joy Kearsey analyzed DNA samples collected from Fulton, Decarie and Despres and compared them to swabs taken at the crime scene.
A pair of gloves, a sweatshirt and a bulletproof vest seized from Despres when he was arrested contained DNA that matched Fulton's, Kearsey testified. Despres's DNA samples were also found on the items.
Kearsey also analyzed samples taken from a dagger found at the crime scene.
DNA found on its handle matched Despres's, she said. The chances of it being someone else's wasabout 1 in 24 million, Kearsey testified.
The tests confirmed Fulton's blood was in almost every room in the house, including the mudroom, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, where it was found even on the ceiling fan.
DNA samples were also collected from Fulton's car, which had gone missing from their home and was later found at a gravel pit in Brockway, N.B.
The samples were taken from the driver's door, the dash, the head rest and the gear shift but there was not enough DNA to determine whose it was, she said.
Pants found in alley also tested
Pants found in a shopping cart behind a clothing store in St. Stephen, N.B., were also tested for DNA.
Despres had been seen changing his clothes in the back alley on April 25, 2005.
The tests found Fulton's DNA on the pants, Kearsey said.
Despres seemed uninterested in the highly technical testimony, which included a slide presentation on the use of DNA in forensics. He appeared to be struggling to keep his eyes open.
This is Despres's second trial. It is being heard by judge alone.
His first trial was halted in February after he exhibited bizarre behaviour in the courtroom. After a psychiatric assessment, he was declared unfit to stand trial in April and ordered to undergo treatment for paranoid schizophrenia.
In July, a provincial review board ruled Despres had responded well to psychiatric treatment, understood the court proceedings and the charges against him, and was fit to stand trial again.