Blood loss from 'frenzied' 2016 stabbing attack left Winnipeg man dead, court hears

Blood loss from nearly three dozen slash and stab wounds — including to the face, brain and lung — was likely the cause of David Sanderson's death more than 2½ years ago, a Winnipeg court room heard Monday.

"These would be [from] a kind of frenzied attack. It would be rapid," forensic pathologist Charles Littman, who conducted the autopsy, testified on Day 1 of the second-degree murder trial of Billy-Joe Linklater and Lorie Knott.

Linklater and Knott were arrested and charged about three days after Sanderson, 50, was found dead in his Aberdeen Avenue home on June 22, 2016.

Emergency crews were called to his suite after reports of a fire. Court heard firefighters located Sanderson in his home and he was later pronounced dead and taken to Health Sciences Centre for an autopsy.

Linklater and Knott, both 21 at he time of Sanderson's death, have pleaded not guilty.

Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench Justice Robert Dewar implored the 12-member jury to "keep an open mind" and use their common sense when considering the evidence at trial.

"The time to decide a case is after not before you've heard all the evidence," he said. "Don't prejudge the case; wait until the end and you'll be given ample opportunity to wrestle with it then."

Crown attorneys Mike Himmelman and Boyd McGill will spend the next four weeks arguing their case. Knott is represented by defence lawyers Mike Cook and David Walker, and lawyers Martin Glazer and James Lowry are representing Linklater.

'Large amount' of face injuries

Winnipeg police Const. Garrett Carrette and Dr. Littman were the only two witnesses to testify Monday.

Carrette, a 23-year member of the force and current manager with the forensic identification unit, told court he photographed Sanderson's body and the suite of the home where he lived.

I believe all these stab wounds occurred very rapidly.- Dr. Charles Littman

Sanderson had "a large amount" of injuries to his face, which was covered in soot, as well as burns on his arms and legs, Carrette said. He also had an Assiniboine Credit Union bank card in his pocket, which Crown attorney Himmelman said was used to take out money in the hours before his death.

Carrette photographed blood stains on the lawn, walkway and inside the entrance to Sanderson's suite that he presumed could've come from when paramedics removed his body from the fire-damaged home.

Sanderson found slumped in chair

Despite noting no signs of forced entry at the time, Carrette conceded in court that the two door knobs to Sanderson's home were photographed on the ground inside and front step outside the home during cross-examination by Glazer.

Sanderson was found dead, slumped over in a chair that was also stained in blood, Carrette said, though he noted the body was removed before he arrived. He also said there was "a lot of staining" on the floor, hallway and outside.

A number of items were found at the scene, including an aluminum bat, a cigarette butt and blood-stained shoes. 

Cook suggested it isn't clear where the blood on those shoes came from and clarified that Carrette is a forensic photography expert, not a blood splatter analyst.

Police arrested Linklater and Knott three days after Sanderson's death on June 25. The next day, police executed a search warrant at a home on Stella Avenue where they recovered a plaid jacket, black sweater, Chicago Bulls baseball hat, and blue jeans, court heard.

33 slash and stab wounds

Dr. Littman, who has performed over 6,000 autopsies in his career and testified in court more than 200 times, testified after Carrette. 

"I believe all these stab wounds occurred very rapidly," Littman told Knott's lawyer Cook, acknowledging the attack was quick and could've resulted in Sanderson's death in 30 minutes or so without medical treatment.

He walked jurors through graphic images of the 33 stab and slash wounds on Sanderson's body, including more than 10 to his face, one that pierced a lung and another that perforated his skull and brain.

Sanderson also suffered numerous stabs and slashes to his arms and forearms — defensive wounds Littman said are common when people are trying to protect themselves. He broke at least three bones in his arms during the attack, cour heard.

Dead before fire: doctor

None of the injuries were immediately lethal on their own, but the totality of broken bones, cuts and stabs led to significant blood loss that caused Sanderson's death, said Littman.

Littman said it's possible one or more people could've inflicted the wounds that left Sanderson dead.

Further tests also revealed Sanderson was dead before the fire burned through his home, Littman added.

Linklater and Knott aren't charged with causing the fire, said Justice Dewar.

The trial is expected to last four weeks.