Amber Kirwan trial hears from Chris Falconer's stepsister

The stepsister of the man accused of killing Amber Kirwan took the stand on Monday as Christopher Alexander Falconer's first-degree murder trial entered its third week.

The 31-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the New Glasgow teenager's death. His case is being heard before 13 jury members in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Pictou.

Texts messages between Falconer and his stepsister, Alice Meier, were read in court on Monday. They confirm Falconer left items in her camper trailer in the early hours of Oct. 9, 2011 — the last day Kirwan was seen alive by friends.

The 19-year-old woman's remains were found a month later in a shallow grave.

Meier testified she was at a cottage in Caribou on the night of Oct. 8. She said she received a text message from Falconer the following morning just after 9 a.m. that read: "Hey girl, I was at your place last night. I have some stuff in the trailer. I'll be back to get it."

A few minutes later, Falconer wrote to Meier: "Just my pipe, laptop and things in the trailer. Not the mini home."

Meier said she asked Falconer if she should move those items into the house and he said no, he would get them later.

The trailer is the same one where police later found duct tape and black cloth with Kirwan's DNA.

Meier said she never knew Kirwan and had no knowledge of her ever being on her property in Heathbell, just west of Pictou.

'Don't plead guilty,' says Falconer's father

The court also heard Falconer's phone conversations with his father and stepmother from jail. In one of the conversations on Nov. 16, 2011, Falconer told his father he wasn't with anyone the night Kirwan disappeared. 

His father told him repeatedly not to plead guilty. 

The court also heard a police interview with Falconer recorded a few weeks earlier, on Oct. 24, 2011.

During the interview, Falconer was unclear about the timeline of events on Thanksgiving weekend of that year. At one point he said he woke up at a friend's place on the morning of Oct. 9, 2011.

When asked again, he said he "wasn't sure" where he woke up.

"It was more problematic than not, at least as it sits right now. That could change as things develop but with the evidence that was heard, it was not positive for Mr. Falconer today," said Mike Taylor, the defence lawyer.

Falconer mentioned two friends in the police interview — Dean and Owen Rafuse,

The Crown said neither has been asked to testify because they don't help the prosecution's case.

"Obviously decisions have to be made in terms of what witnesses to call, what witnesses not to call," said Crown attorney Bill Gorman.

Gorman said the prosecution expects to call two or three more witnesses. The defence will then have an opportunity to call witnesses but Taylor has not said whether he plans to call anyone to the stand.