Police officer sheds tears as he describes 'gruesome' death scene at Regina murder trial
Jason McKay has pleaded not guilty to 2nd-degree murder in 2017 death of his wife, Jenny McKay
WARNING: Story contains graphic content.
With tears in his eyes, Regina police Const. Bryceton Fink described the shock he felt when he saw Jenny McKay's body lying in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor and tried to call out to her.
Fink became emotional as he testified Tuesday at the trial of Jason McKay, who is accused of killing Jenny, his wife, in September 2017. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of the 33-year-old woman, who was originally from New Glasgow, N.S.
The police officer and his partner, Graham McDonald, had been dispatched to the Angus Street residence for a welfare check, Fink explained during his testimony at Regina's Court of Queen's Bench.
The officers had been told that Jason McKay's mother was worried about her son, who had a history of self-harm. They were told she feared he might be intoxicated, or had used his medication incorrectly.
Fink said when they arrived, Jason McKay was covered in blood but assured them he was not injured. Fink testified that in response to McDonald's question, "Where's Jenny?" McKay's exact response was "She's dead. I f--king killed her."
McDonald stayed with McKay as Fink entered the home, finding what he described as the "gruesome" scene in the kitchen.
Fink wiped tears from his eyes as he remembered finding Jenny, with a large knife still protruding from her chest. She was cold to the touch and had no pulse. He said what appeared to be blood was smeared on the floor and the kitchen cabinets.
Crown prosecutor Adam Breker, who walked Fink through photos of the scene, paused briefly to ask if the scene was difficult and shocking to come across. Fink, his voice thick, agreed it was.
Phone found with photos of victim
Const. Alyssa Gregory was part of the Regina police forensic identification unit in 2017. She testified that there was a lot of blood at the crime scene, compared to what she had previously experienced. She noted Jenny appeared to have multiple wounds around her head and neck.
Gregory found and seized broken knives in the kitchen. She also documented a serrated knife on the floor by Jenny's right hand.
She said she found a cellphone on the table, which was later determined to belong to Jason McKay. It contained photos of Jenny's apparently dead body.
Gregory said they showed Jenny almost as police found her — except that the knife was missing from her chest in the photos, and a knife was shown "inside the victim's mouth."
Gregory said the crime scene appeared to mostly be contained to the kitchen area, where she found long strands of hair in Jenny's hands, a blood-soaked blue sweater, and a broken necklace. There was also an engagement ring and a wedding band in the pocket of her shorts.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Thomas Hynes, Gregory confirmed that there had been no apparent effort made to clean up the blood, despite a nearby closet containing cleaning tools.
During Tuesday's testimony, several video clips that showed McKay in a police car, and then at the police station, were played in the courtroom.
They showed McKay becoming combative as he was questioned by police, repeatedly challenging the officers to fight him."He wanted to fight anybody who was willing," said Const. Garth Fleece, describing McKay as increasingly "agitated."
Fleece, who was also responsible for photographing Jason McKay's body to document any injuries, testified that McKay appeared essentially uninjured.
The trial, which is being heard by Justice Michael Tochor, is scheduled for three weeks.