Jury selected for Derek Saretzky triple-murder trial in Lethbridge
Sarah Lawrynuik | CBC News | Posted: May 25, 2017 5:47 PM | Last Updated: May 25, 2017
The trial date has been further delayed and is now expected to begin June 7
A jury of seven men and seven women has been selected for the trial of Derek Saretzky, accused of killing a toddler and her father and, separately, a 69-year-old woman in the Crowsnest Pass in southwestern Alberta.
Terry Blanchette, 27, his daughter Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, 2, and Hanne Meketech, 69, were killed in September 2015 in the Crownest Pass. It's a municipality of roughly 5,500 people about 230 kilometres south of Calgary.
- Derek Saretzky to face jury trial in May 2017 for murder charges
- Crowsnest Pass triple murders' anniversary reveals lingering sadness
The case attracted national attention after Blanchette was discovered dead in his home in the Crowsnest community of Blairmore on Sept. 14, 2015.
An Amber Alert was issued for Hailey, but the little girl's remains were discovered in a rural area the next day.
Saretzky, now 24, was charged shortly thereafter.
Seven months later, Saretzky was also charged in the death of Meketech, who was found dead in her home in the community of Coleman on Sept. 9, 2015.
Saretzky is expected to go on trial on June 7 in Lethbridge, charged with three counts of first-degree murder as well as causing indignity to a body.
The jury of 14 was picked in about an hour from more than 100 people summoned for the trial. Two male alternates have also been selected, but they will be dismissed at the beginning of the trial provided no conflicts arise among the 14 jurors.
Crown estimates trial will take about 4 weeks
Although there are 14 jurors, only 12 are able to deliberate at the trial's culmination. The two additional bodies serve as extras in case unforeseen circumstances arise for any jurors over the course of the trial.
The Crown, represented by Photini Papadatou, estimates the trial will take about four weeks, but Court of Queen's Bench Justice WIlliam Tilleman made clear that many variables could cause the trial to go longer.
Two voir dire hearings — to determine the admissibility of evidence in the trial — have been ongoing since May 8 and are expected to wrap up on June 6. Information from the voir dire hearings is under a publication ban.