Michael Briscoe double murder trial begins
Edmonton Man shows no sign of emotion as graphic video of crime scene played in court
A first-degree murder trial began Tuesday for an Edmonton man accused of killing a woman and a 13-year-old girl days apart.
Michael Briscoe is facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Nina Courtepatte and Ellie May Meyer, 33.
Courtepatte's battered body was found on a golf course west of Edmonton in April 2005, while Meyer, a prostitute, was found in a field east of the city in May.
Briscoe showed no visible signs of emotion Tuesday as he watched a graphic video in court showing the scene where Meyer's body was discovered.
Police believe Meyer was killed two days before Courtepatte.
Briscoe was acquitted in Courtepatte's death after a trial in 2007, but the decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada, and a new trial was ordered.
"I want the justice done," said Courtepatte's mom, Peacha Atkinson. "I need that justice. Then I can close that little bit.
"But it will never be closed for me," she said. "It will be always open and a lot of pain."
Briscoe's lawyer, Charles Davison, wanted separate trials for the two murder cases, but the judge denied the application.
Briscoe's alleged accomplice, Joseph Laboucan, has already been found guilty of first-degree murder in both cases.
The trial is scheduled to last about six weeks.