The third day of the trial for Edmonton filmmaker Mark Twitchell, who is charged with first-degree murder in the alleged life-imitates-art murder of Johnny Altinger, kicked off with continued testimony from a forensics investigator who was responsible for seizing, numbering and examining exhibits in the investigation.
Police allege Twitchell lured Altinger to a south-side garage in October 2008 and killed him. Investigators accuse the independent film producer of acting out his own film-script storyline.
Altinger mysteriously vanished on Oct. 10.
Const. Nancy Allen, with the EPS Forensics Identification Section, told the court Friday morning a hockey mask with suspected blood stains was found in Twitchell's basement.
Allen testified investigators also found a postal box that contained a receipt for a restaurant cleaver, a box for handcuffs and the sleeve from a knife, which she said were marked as sold to Twitchell, with an order date of August 2008.
The investigator told jurors a diagram was located that had furniture labelled as "victim chair" and "killer chair."
The constable said a pair of blue jeans with blood stains was also found in Twitchell's home. In the closet of the home, Allen said there was a box for a Stun Master stun gun.
Investigators have opened up about the four days they spent investigating Twitchell's garage, where it is alleged he beat Altinger on the head with a copper pipe, and fatally stabbed him before dismembering his body.
Police allege Twitchell threw Altinger's dismembered body in a city sewer.
Allen said a stun baton, a holster, a game processing kit with a blood stain on the outside were located in the garage, along with a partial roll of paper towels with blood on the cardboard roll, an ammonia bottle, a heavy duty cleaner and rolls of duct tape.
Allen told jurors a 51-centimetre pipe was recovered in the garage with multiple suspected blood stains on the end.
On Thursday, Allen testified she did a search of Twitchell's vehicle and seized a laptop bag, as well as a knife in a black sheath. She testified the knife had suspected blood stains.
Allen said she also seized a laptop that had two suspected blood stains on the keyboard.
The constable went on to tell the court she found sticky notes in Twitchell's car that read: "kill room clean sweep."
Also on Thursday, forensic investigator Const. Gary Short showed pictures to the court of where they found Altinger's vehicle, as well as images of Twitchell's vehicle where they located a book about a TV show called Dexter, which is about a man who lives his life as a serial killer.
In the trunk of the vehicle, it is alleged they found some blood.
Short testified on June 4th, he was called out to 129 Ave. and 86 St. to take pictures of a sewer from the outside as well as down the sewer pipe. He said water was sucked out from the bottom, revealing silt and remains.
"The remains plus the silt was taken from the scene," said Short.
Short said a few days later he was called to the Medical Examiner's Office to take more images of the bones.
With files from David Ewasuk and Bill Fortier
