Suspect in Serena Perry's death was teary-eyed, inquest hears

A young male psychiatric patient at the Saint John Regional Hospital appeared anxious and fidgety on the night of Serena Perry's death, a coroner's inquest heard Wednesday.

Brenda Gillespie, a licensed practical nurse, testified that the patient, a minor, whose identity is protected, was teary-eyed on Feb. 14, 2012, when a code blue medical emergency was called in the hospital's amphitheatre.

That's when the body of Perry, 22, was discovered with a blue hospital gown wrapped loosely around her neck.

Gillespie says the male patient, referred to as B.M., later came to the work station to inquire if she had heard anything more about Perry.

She says she asked B.M. why he was concerned. He told her Perry had been acting funny when the two were together earlier in evening, saying, "It's time. It's coming."

He told Gillespie Perry had then asked him for his housecoat, which he said he gave her.

The following morning, police arrested B.M. and another patient, referred to as A.A.

One of the officers involved, Const. John Wright, testified that when B.M. was told he was being arrested for murder, he asked if Serena was dead.

Wright said he found that "odd" because Perry's name had not been mentioned by the arresting officers.

B.M. was never charged and has since moved out of  New Brunswick, the inquest heard.

The other patient, A.A., was ruled out as a suspect.

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.

Earlier in the inquest, the jury heard that Perry had left the psychiatric unit twice with a fellow male patient on the night she died, but they did not sign out on the second occasion and the male patient returned alone.

On Tuesday, a pathologist testified there was no evidence Perry had been sexually assaulted.

Perry's sister, Tasha King, told reporters it was difficult to listen to the autopsy results, but she's glad the information is out now.

"It's really exciting, very emotional, because everything's come out, everything that we know that went down, now the public knows," she said.

Three weeks have been set aside for the inquest, which resumes on Thursday morning.