Murder trial hears DNA evidence

Boyfriend facing second-degree murder charge

Lesley Watterworth had 69 wounds to her body incurred during a fatal stabbing and beating attack nearly two years ago, a Superior Court jury was told on Monday.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Elena Tugaleva detailed in court the findings of her autopsy of the victim, which she conducted following the alleged attack by her boyfriend John Wayne Pierre.

The 49-year-old local man is on trial facing a charge of seconddegree murder for the Nov. 1, 2016 mid-afternoon death of his girlfriend in the upper unit of 925 Curry Ave.

With Watterworth’s family members looking on in the courtroom, Tugaleva methodically ran through the litany of stab wounds, cuts and bruises to the victim’s body. During roughly 90 minutes of testimony, she pointed to the fatal stabbing blow being a deep wound to the right torso area of the victim’s back that pierced her lungs and liver.

The pathologist also described a series of cuts and stabbing injuries to the forehead, nose and cheek areas. “There were multiple injuries, but none of these were fatal,” she said.

Tugaleva also explained to the jury how several cuts and injuries on Watterworth’s hands and legs were consistent with “defensive posturing ” during the attack. It can be said the victim tried to “prevent herself from blunt or sharp force injuries” during the fatal assault, she told the jury. There were findings during her autopsy of cocaine and methamphetamine in Watterworth’s system, Tugaleva said. When asked by assistant Crown attorney Shelley McGuire if the level of drugs in her system had any impact on the victim’s death, the pathologist concluded: “In my opinion, it did not contribute to her death.” Pierre sat passively in court showing no emotion during the pathologist’s description of the stab wounds and other injuries found on Watterworth’s body. He occasionally leaned over to speak

... blood stains found on Pierre’s clothing at the time of his arrest ... were identified as those of the victim

to his defence lawyer Ken Marley. Marley’s cross-examination of Tugaleva regarding her autopsy findings was brief, primarily focused on inquiring whether she could definitively say how much cocaine was in the victim’s system during the attack. The pathologist responded she could not. Another witness called by the Crown was forensic biologist Renata Dziak. The DNA expert told the jury that blood stains found on Pierre’s clothing at the time of his arrest by Windsor police roughly 12 hours after the alleged attack were identified as those of the victim. After DNA testing, she said the blood stains on the knife found at the crime scene were identified as those of the victim. Blood samples taken by police from Pierre following his arrest also pointed to his DNA being found on the victim and various locations inside her apartment — the scene of the alleged crime, she testified. Following Dziak’s testimony, lawyers for the prosecution informed the court their case to the jury was concluded. Marley is scheduled to begin calling witnesses for his client’s defence when the trial resumes at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning.