Jury to resume deliberating in case of Calgary man accused of murdering woman

The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Carla MacPhail said because the murder, sexual assault and unlawful confinement were part of the same series of events, Healy should be convicted of first-degree murder.

The defence didn’t dispute that Healy was responsible for Baptiste’s death and that he sexually assaulted her.

But lawyer Shamsher Kothari told the jury in his closing arguments that the sequence of events was unclear, so Healy should be found guilty of second-degree murder.

Jurors heard Baptiste was on her way to stay at a friend’s house when she met Healy on a light-rail transit train.

Baptiste never made it to her destination. A day later, she was found in a stranger’s backyard, her lower body exposed.

The jury saw a video of a statement Healy made to police saying he was angry when Baptiste told him to go away and that he used the rock to “finish her off.”

The defence argued the statement is unreliable, in part because Healy is low-functioning and was parroting what the detective was saying.

Several loved ones were in the gallery on Thursday, many wearing red T-shirts with a photo of a smiling, pink-haired and bespectacled Baptiste and the dates of her birth and death.

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Jury to resume deliberating in case of Calgary man accused of murdering woman

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