No conclusive link between bullets and weapons, Pickton jury told
This story may contain disturbing details
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 8, 2007 | 8:34 PM PT
CBC News
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Bullets recovered from the remains of two women Robert William Pickton is alleged to have killed could not be conclusively linked to any weapons seized from his farm, a firearms expert testified Tuesday.
The two bullets, found in the bisected skulls of Sereena Abotsway and Mona Wilson, were too damaged to make a link, Sgt. Philip Ziegler, a toolmark and firearms expert, told the court.
Other bullets and casings found at Pickton's slaughterhouse could not be conclusively matched to any of the weapons recovered from the farm, Ziegler said under cross-examination from defence lawyer Marilyn Sandford.
The trial, in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, began in late January. Pickton has been charged in the deaths of Abotsway, Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Wolfe, Marnie Frey and Georgina Papin, all women who went missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
In all, Pickton is accused in the deaths of 26 women. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Another trial on 20 other counts will be held later.
During Tuesday's proceedings, jurors heard more details about the saw marks found on some of the remains.
The day before, Ziegler had testified that the marks found on the Wilson, Joesbury, and Abotsway skulls and on the jawbone of Wolfe were all similar, adding that he believed they were made by a hand-held reciprocating saw.
But under cross-examination, Ziegler testified he could not say what kind of saw made the marks left on the jawbone of Wolfe.
He also could not say what kind of saw made the marks on a number of unidentified ribs found.
Ziegler said marks on all those bones could have been made by a reciprocating saw, but also could have been made by a handsaw or a bandsaw like one he was given to examine.
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