Photos of homicide scene paint graphic picture
Victim found beaten to death in Stoney Creek apartment
He beat her with his fist until the bed was soaked in her blood and she was dead.
Pools of blood. Sprays of blood. Smears. Drops.
Not because of a gun. Or a knife. Or some heavy, blunt object.
This was a man who beat a woman to death with his bare hands.
Dalibor Klaric didn’t even know her name.
The 35-year-old ex-soldier told the 911 call taker this, a few hours later — just after 11 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2013 — when he confessed he had killed an escort in his Stoney Creek apartment.
He said he “smashed her” with his fist.
The graphic reality of what that looked like was presented to jurors Wednesday at Klaric’s first-degree murder trial.
He has confessed to the homicide and wanted to plead guilty to manslaughter.
But Crown attorney Todd Norman is prosecuting him for firstdegree murder, arguing that Klaric hired an escort for the purpose of beating her and that he also sexually assaulted her.
On screens throughout the courtroom, photo after photo taken by Hamilton police forensic officers took the five men and seven women of the jury on a tour of the killer’s small, one-bedroom Riverdale Drive apartment.
The photos led them to the woman’s body, curled in a fetal position on Klaric’s bed that had no mattress.
She was naked, a greenish comforter draped over her. Her black hair was matted with blood.
Her face, her feet, the comforter, sheets, headboard — all covered in blood.
On the floor near the bed was blood. And a clump of black hair.
Her name was Jiali Zhang. She was petite. Forty years old.
It seems she arrived at Klaric’s apartment wearing black leggings, a pretty pink and purple floral top, and long black boots. There was a bag containing supplies: a hair comb, lipstick, condoms.
Klaric, from his place in the prisoner’s box, looked toward a large screen at photos of Jiali’s body in his bed.
He showed no emotion.
At the foot of the bed was a nearly empty bottle of whisky and a glass with blood on it. There were other signs of drinking throughout the apartment: an empty tall can of Labatt Blue on the bathroom sink. Another on the living room coffee table. Beer caps in the kitchen garbage.
There were cellphones. A broken one in the bathroom garbage can, another in the kitchen garbage, one on the coffee table. And another which Klaric had with him when he was arrested outside Eastgate Square.
There were knives. One in the kitchen sink, one in the garbage can just below it, one in the bedroom.
Some of the clothes and knives seized from the homicide scene were sealed in clear plastic evidence bags and shown to the jury. They saw, for instance, a black bra — found cut in half and strewn on the bedroom floor.
The court has heard that earlier that day Klaric learned Veterans Affairs had rejected his application for benevolent funding. He swore and ranted about that during his 911 call.
The apartment photos suggest Klaric had troubles.
On his kitchen counter was his “Veterans Affairs regrets to inform you” letter. His pantry shelves and fridge were mostly bare. There was an eviction notice because he hadn’t paid his rent.
On the coffee table was a list of job search websites and an information sheet about food banks. In a drawer was a pamphlet, titled Understanding Ourselves and Alcoholism.
And on the living room sofa, there was an Ontario driver’s licence.
It is enlarged, many times over, until it fills the giant courtroom screen.
The name on it says Jiaming Zhang. That is similar to Jiali’s name, but not a perfect match.
The photo is of an Asian woman with straight black hair and delicate features.
Is this Jiali? Is this what she looked like before Klaric got his hands on her?