Blow to head killed Coleman woman
Medical examiner testifies at Saretzky triple-murder trial
Asignificant blow to the left side of Hanne Meketech’s head was likely what killed her, according to the medical examiner who performed her autopsy.
WARNING This story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers
Day two of the Derek Saretzky triple-murder trial saw Dr. Jeffery Gofton testify to the details of a full autopsy he performed on Meketech after she was discovered dead in her home in September 2015. Gofton appeared via closed-circuit TV, as he has since moved to Virginia and no longer works in Alberta.
Saretzky is on trial for the 2015 Blairmore murders of Terry Blanchette and his daughter, two-year-old Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, and the Coleman murder of Meketech.
In all, Meketech suffered five blunt-force traumas and three sharp-force injuries to her head, and three sharp-force (knife) wounds to her neck. Gofton testified the blunt-force wounds were consistent with a linear blunt-force object, such as a crowbar, pipe or baseball bat.
Meketech suffered bruising to her torso and extremities as well. Gofton testified bruising to her hands were consistent with a “scrimmage-type” injury likely caused by a struggle.
The left side of Meketech’s scalp featured a seven-centimetre by five-centimetre “ragged edged” wound over top of a depressed skull fracture which measured 12 centimetres by 10 centimetres. The fracture site consisted of fragments of bone which tore through the brain covering and into Meketech’s brain.
Gofton said the wound caused hemorrhaging on the left side surface of her brain. There was damage to the right side of Meketech’s brain consistent with a force pushing it against the inside of her skull.
He also said there was probable “postmortem animal activity” on Meketech’s scalp.
Meketech suffered two knife wounds to her neck; one which extended 8.5 centimetres and one which extended seven centimetres into her neck. A third wound was a slice across her neck, which cut muscle on the right side but caused no intravascular injury.
“I do see an indication of what appears to be a single-edged blade,” said Gofton, but he was unable to speak to the length of the blade. He stated the wounds likely occurred near her death and would have contributed to blood loss.
Day two also saw testimony from RCMP Const. Carla Leanne Perrin, who collected and catalogued evidence after it was identified by investigators at Meketech’s home.
The Crown had Perrin point out obvious items of value in the home, such as televisions and a bottle of prescription pills. The Crown also had Perrin point out blood spatter on the walls of Meketech’s bedroom as well as numerous bloody paw prints throughout the house caused by Meketech’s pets.
Perrin stated there had been a forced entry to the home resulting in splits in the door frame. The door latch was found on the floor.
RCMP Sgt. Ashley Davidson testified as a blood-spatter expert and spoke about the points of origin from a number blood-spatter patterns present on the walls and floor around Meketech’s body. He told the jury a bloodied item in motion had caused castoff patterns in the room, and there were impact spatter patterns near her body.
Using software designed to predict points of origin for blood spatter, Davidson testified the source of the blood would have occurred from an impact about 16 inches from the floor and close to a nearby closet door where her body was discovered. The trial continues today. Follow @JWSchnarrHerald on Twitter