The mother of a dead two-year-old girl sat trembling in the witness box Wednesday as she faced her daughterB次元官网网址檚 accused killer in court.
Cheyenne Dunbar testified at the trial of Derek Saretzky, who is charged with first-degree murder in the 2015 deaths of Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, HaileyB次元官网网址檚 father Terry Blanchette, who was 27, and 60-year-old Hanne Meketech.
Court heard that Saretzky, 24, told investigators he had dated Dunbar, but Dunbar testified the two had not been involved romantically.
B次元官网网址淔riends,B次元官网网址� was all she said when asked by the Crown about the nature of her past relationship with the accused.
Dunbar said she met Saretzky when Hailey was three months old and they spent time together for about five months B次元官网网址渁 few times a week.B次元官网网址�
With her voice barely above a whisper, she said they would hang out at SaretzkyB次元官网网址檚 motherB次元官网网址檚 house or BlanchetteB次元官网网址檚 house in Blairmore, Alta.
B次元官网网址淲hen you were hanging out with Mr. Saretzky would Hailey be present?B次元官网网址� asked Crown prosecutor Mike Fox.
B次元官网网址淎 couple of times, yes,B次元官网网址� Dunbar replied.
The testimony lasted about six minutes.
Dunbar identified Saretzky for the jury and broke down in tears as she left the courtroom.
The jury has already heard that and later strangling, dismembering and cannibalizing Hailey before burning her remains.
Earlier in the day, RCMP DNA expert Janice Lyons testified that she examined several blood samples relating to the deaths of Hailey and her father.
Lyons said blood on one of SaretzkyB次元官网网址檚 boots was found to be HaileyB次元官网网址檚, but no DNA could be retrieved from the firepit where the girlB次元官网网址檚 remains were found.
B次元官网网址淒NA being exposed to extremely high temperatures for a prolonged period of time would degrade the DNA to the point that we would not be able to detect it,B次元官网网址� said Lyons.
DNA from Blanchette was found at both his home and in a white van owned by the Saretzky family, she said.
RCMP Cpl. Brian Fitzpatrick was the lead investigator in the Meketech case. Meketech was killed in nearby Coleman, Alta., five days before Blanchette was killed and Hailey was kidnapped.
He testified that after an Amber Alert was issued for Hailey, the Meketech investigation came to a stop and he went to Blairmore.
B次元官网网址淭he first few hours there were quite chaotic,B次元官网网址� Fitzpatrick said.
Saretzky became a suspect in the seniorB次元官网网址檚 death when he confessed that he killed the father and daughter and officers noticed similarities in the way Blanchette and Meketech were killed.
He eventually confessed to the third murder in an RCMP interview six months later.
Fitzpatrick said he initially asked that a sexual assault kit be used on Meketech.
B次元官网网址滻t didnB次元官网网址檛 make any sense to me why this woman was murdered,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 wanted to try to obtain as much evidence as possible because I didnB次元官网网址檛 know why this had happened.B次元官网网址�
Another test was done on her fingernails to look for DNA evidence.
B次元官网网址淲e started to realize she had a bit of a fiery personality,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淭here were some defensive wounds on her hands so that leads me to believe B次元官网网址� Hanne wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to go down without a fight. I think she came out swinging.B次元官网网址�
Both tests came back negative.
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
