DNA linked to 2 victims found on accused triple murderer's clothes, trial hears
Court also heard DNA linked to Basil Borutski was found on envelopes sent to victim and his probation officer
Bloodstains on clothes seized from accused triple murderer Basil Borutski the day he was arrested contained DNA linked to two of the victims, court heard Tuesday as his trial resumed.
The bodies of Carol Culleton, 66, Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, and Nathalie Warmerdam, 48, were found at three separate crime scenes in and around the community of Wilno, Ont., on Sept. 22, 2015.
Borutski, 60, faces three counts of first-degree murder and is representing himself at his trial before a judge and jury in Ontario Superior Court in Ottawa.
The court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf after Borutski refused to enter one himself. He has not spoken in court so far.
After an eight-day break, the trial resumed Tuesday with testimony from Camilla Sewhdat, a biologist at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto, about DNA analysis done on a number of items seized from the three crime scenes and Borutski's personal items.
DNA linked to Culleton found on Borutski's shirt
DNA testing was performed on bloodstained bits of Borutski's long-sleeved blue denim shirt, which court earlier heard was seized the day of the killings. DNA belonging to a male and female were found and identified as profile one and profile three, respectively.
Culleton can't be excluded as source of DNA profile three, which was found in four different places on Borutski's shirt, Sewhdat told court.
The probability a randomly selected person unrelated to Culleton would coincidentally share the same DNA in profile three is estimated to be one in 67 quadrillion, she testified.
Court also heard Borutski can't be excluded as the source of DNA profile one.
The probability a randomly selected person unrelated to Borutski would coincidentally share the same DNA in profile one is estimated to be one in 26 quintillion, Sewhdat testified.
DNA linked to Warmerdam found on Borutski's hat
DNA found in a bloodstain on the top rim of Borutksi's camo tilly hat, also seized the day of the killings, came from a single female source identified as profile five, court heard.
Warmerdam can't be excluded as the source of that DNA profile, Sewhdat testified.
The probability a randomly selected person unrelated to Warmerdam would coincidentally share the same DNA in profile five is estimated to be one in 8.1 quadrillion, court heard.
DNA linked to Borutski found on envelopes, cigarette butt
A cigarette butt found in the kitchen sink at Culleton's cottage, where her body was found, was also submitted for DNA testing, court heard.
Investigators also submitted cutouts of the adhesive flaps of two envelopes, one of which contained a letter sent to Culleton and the other a letter sent to Borutski's probation officer, Caroline Royer.
- Read full letter to accused's probation officer
- Triple murder trial hears letter to victim
- Read full letter to victim Carol Culleton
Testing on all three items showed DNA came from a single male source identified as profile one, and that Borutski can't be excluded as the source.
Under cross-examination by amicus curiae James Foord, who was appointed by the court to ensure Borutski gets a fair trial, Sewhdat testified that DNA testing cannot determine when or how DNA is deposited.
The trial is set to resume Wednesday morning.