Downey jury hears body was found in laundry hamper
‘At first I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at,’ police officer testifies at trial
Sara Baillie’s body initially went undiscovered during a cursory search of her home by police, court heard Thursday.
But Const. Brad Nykoluk said a more thorough search after he returned to the residence two hours later uncovered the corpse.
Nykoluk said he found Baillie’s body stuffed into a clothes hamper inside her young daughter’s bedroom closet.
He told a five-man, seven-woman jury he made the discovery during an evening search of Baillie’s Panamount Boulevard N.W. residence on July 11, 2016.
“I reached to move the laundry hamper out of the way, but it wouldn’t budge and was a lot heavier than it should be,” he told Crown prosecutor Ryan Jenkins.
He said there was clothing stacked on top of the hamper.
“Upon removing the clothes … there was two feet sticking out with painted toenails,” Nykoluk said.
“I remember touching one of the feet and it felt cold.”
Nykoluk said it took a moment for the discovery to sink in.
“At first I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at and then realized this was in fact a body I had found.”
The officer testified he didn’t remember what he said, but Baillie’s aunt earlier testified he gasped and called out to her and her husband, who were in the living room, not to come in.
“I pulled on the hamper a bit and it still felt heavy,” Nykoluk said. “And I think it fell over.” Crime scene photos showing the toppled hamper later confirmed that.
“My instinct was to see if this person was OK and I realized they were beyond help.”
Calgarian Edward Downey is on trial for first-degree murder in Baillie’s slaying.
Downey, 48, faces the same charge in connection with the death of Baillie’s five-year-old daughter, Taliyah Marsman, whose body was discovered among shrubs east of the city three days later.
Both victims died of asphyxiation, jurors were told in the Crown opening, with Baillie suffering both neck compressions and smothering.
The cause of Taliyah’s asphyxiation could not be determined.
Nykoluk said he was first called to Baillie’s home for a “check on welfare” investigation at 5:37 p.m. on July 11.
During the cursory search he found Baillie’s purse on the floor of Taliyah’s bedroom but saw no signs of a struggle.
After investigating two other residences linked to the girl’s father, Nykoluk returned to the home at 7:50 p.m. and found the body about 45 minutes later.
Downey’s trial continues.
There was two feet sticking out with painted toenails. I remember touching one of the feet and it felt cold.