Serena Perry last seen with patient with history of witchcraft
Young man also had history of animal sacrifice, nurse testifies at coroner's inquest
The male psychiatric patient Serena Perry was last seen with before she died had a history of witchcraft and animal sacrifice, according to a licensed practical nurse.
Ashley Fox, who testified Friday at the coroner's inquest into Perry's death, said she got "bad vibes" from the young man.
"There was something about him," she said.
Perry, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, referred to the young man as her boyfriend, said Fox.
He would try to slip into Perry's room, she said, describing him as "sneaky."
Earlier in the inquest, the jury heard that Perry, an involuntary patient at the Saint John Regional Hospital's psychiatric unit, had left the unit twice with the fellow male patient on Feb. 14, 2012.
But on the second occasion, they did not sign out and the male patient — a minor, whose identity is protected — returned alone, the Saint John courtroom heard.
The body of Perry, 22, was later found in the amphitheatre, which is located in another part of the hospital. She was lying on the floor, clothed, with a blue garment wrapped loosely around her neck and all of the lights out.
One of the things the jury must determine is the cause of the Perry's death. Suicide and homicide are options.
But several nurses and other medical staff this week have been adamant that Serena Perry loved life, and was not, at any time as a patient, considered suicidal. Those words come as a relief to the Perry family, said Perry's sister, Tasha King.
"We had a feeling that this was all going to point towards Serena — maybe people trying to say that she may have been suicidal and did this herself but we knew the difference."
The inquest is being held to determine the facts surrounding Perry's death. The five-member jury may also make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.
Saint John police had treated Perry's death as a homicide. Although police had a suspect — a male patient also under the care of the psychiatric unit — a forensic examination could not determine the cause of her death, and no charges were ever laid.
Testimony from a pathologist who performed the autopsy on Perry is expected next week.
Three weeks have been set aside for the inquest.