Pathologist testifies victims stabbed at least 60 times

Fred Fulton and Verna Decarie had more than 60 injuries between them, the Court of Queen's Bench heard in Fredericton Tuesday.

Gregory Despres, 25, is accused of killing the elderly Minto, N.B., couple. He has pleaded not guilty.

Pathologist Dr. Ken Obenson testified that the stab wounds on Despres's neighbours were likely caused by a sharp object.

There were signs that Fulton, 74, fought back against his attacker, Obenson said. The autopsy on the victim found defensive wounds on his fingers and feet.

Fulton had 30 clusters of wounds and was also decapitated by his attacker, the pathologist testified.

Decarie, 70, had 31 injuries. The most substantial stab wounds were to her face and upper neck, Obenson said.

Obenson said he could not pinpoint the exact time of the victims' deaths.

"It's difficult to determine time of death when you don't have witnesses," he said. "You can give an informed opinion about when someone might have died."

The deaths likely occurred sometime between April 23 and 26, 2005, Obenson told the court.

A relative last saw the pair on the evening of April 23. Their bodies were found in their home by Fulton's daughter on April 26.

Under cross-examination, Obenson said he couldn't speculate about how long it might have taken to inflict the blows to the victims.

He also testified he couldn't rule out the possibility that the victims were killed after Despres left Canada.

Despres crossed the Canada-United States border at Calais, Maine, on April 25.

He was later spotted walking along a highway in the southern part Massachusetts on April 26 and was arrested in the early morning of April 27.

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.