The body of Rachel Quinney was mutilated after she died, a medical examiner testified Thursday, but little is known about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Dr. Graeme Dowling testified Thursday at the second-degree murder trial of Thomas Svekla, saying Quinney's body was too decomposed to determine exactly what killed her and the time of her death is uncertain.

He told an Edmonton courtroom the level of cocaine in her system was potentially a lethal amount.

"I can't rule out cocaine, but in these circumstances, there are other subtle possibilities," he said.

Quinney's body was discovered in a wooded area near Sherwood Park in June 2004. The court heard her breasts and genitals had been cut out.

Dowling, Alberta's chief medical examiner, said he found no evidence that Quinney was strangled or smothered.

Svekla is charged with killing Quinney and Theresa Innes, whose body was found stuffed in a hockey bag in 2006.

Dr. Bernard Bannach, assistant chief medical examiner, testified that cocaine was also found in Innes' system during her autopsy.

Bannach told the court that unlike the amounts in Quinney's system, it wasn't enough to kill her. The medical examiner couldn't determine an official cause of death.

"This was largely due to the decomposed nature of the remains which does limit us in the cause and manner of the death," he said.

Bannach acknowledged there were some similarities in the deaths of the two prostitutes.

"Both women were approximately the same weight, both had same length and colour of hair and both had cocaine in their systems," he said.

In the early part of Thursday's testimony, the brother of Rachel Quinney was ejected from the court after Justice Sterling Sanderman said he made a threatening gesture toward the accused.

Sanderman said he witnessed Keith Lajimodiere glaring at Svekla and then put his finger to his own temple like a gun. Sanderman said it was "a clear effort to intimidate."

"That person in not welcome in this courtroom," Sanderman said.

The trial continues for four months.

With files from David Ewasuk