By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

“I knew he was involved”: father of Derek Saretzky in triple murder trial (WARNING: Story contains graphic content)

Jun 13, 2017 | 6:23 PM

LETHBRIDGE – “He told me she was in heaven.”

Larry Saretzky made the statement with tears streaming down his face Tuesday afternoon (June 13), as he testified in the triple homicide trial of his son, Derek Saretzky.

Saretzky faces three counts of first degree murder in the September 2015 deaths of two-year old Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, her father, 27-year old Terry Blanchette, and 69-year old Hanne Meketech. He also faces one count of committing an indignity to a human body in regard to Hailey.

Larry told the court that his son’s response came on Sept. 15, 2015, when he asked about Hailey, who at the time police were searching for as part of an Amber Alert.

According to the Crown, Derek would later lead police to Hailey’s remains in a fire pit outside of Blairmore.

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“I knew he was involved,” Larry said, still struggling to regain his composure. He explained that he then went to police who were in the process of searching Derek’s apartment, and told them they needed to speak with his son. Derek told them what he had just told his father, and he was taken into custody.

Larry’s testimony began with him breaking down on the stand when Crown prosecutor, Photini Papadatou, asked if he had any children. After responding that he had three sons, and with tears still in his eyes, he pointed to the prisoner’s box and identified Derek as one of them.

From there, Larry explained that his family has owned Prestige Cleaners in Blairmore for 47 years, and that Derek worked there between February and June of 2015. He also identified a white van that police seized as part of their investigation, as one of the vehicles used by the family business.

On the night of Sept. 13, 2015, Larry said Derek had come over to his place, where they had dinner and watched a movie. He then drove Derek to his mother’s home in Coleman, as Derek split time between living there and at his own apartment in Blairmore.

The next day, Larry testified that the police came to him, asking about a white van, and saying it was the subject of an Amber Alert. Speaking with his brother and finding out that one of their vans had been moved, they informed police.

Then, on Sept. 15, Larry said that Derek’s mother dropped him off, and that Derek wanted to talk to him about something.

“He was worried about something. I thought he may have been involved somehow,” Larry said, before discussing his son’s answer to Hailey’s whereabouts.

Earlier in the day, the court heard from Cpl. Fred Ridding, one of the forensic identification officers who photographed the home of Terry Blanchette, the Prestige Cleaners’ van and Derek Saretzky’s apartment.

Starting in Blanchette’s home – where his body was found on Sept. 14 by his father, William Blanchette, and at which point it was discovered Hailey was missing – Cpl. Ridding discussed his findings, as the jury was shown the corresponding photos.

A walk-through of the duplex focussed on bloody smears between Blanchette’s bedroom and the bathroom where his body was found, and bloody footprints tracked through the home, which led to the stairs going up to Hailey’s bedroom.

In her room, Cpl. Ridding pointed out red stains on the floor, as well as on a blanket and a doll in her crib.

Using Bluestar as an indicator for blood in the backyard, Cpl. Ridding then showed a trail that went from Blanchette’s home to a neighbour’s driveway across the alley. The trail ended at a skid mark in the driveway, which then proceeded eastbound from the scene.

Photos of the Prestige Cleaners’ van were then shown to the jury, with blue glowing spots once again highlighting blood stains in the vehicle. Stains were found on the driver’s seat and steering wheel, the inside of the back door, and in a large smear in the cargo area of the van. In the smear, Cpl. Ridding pointed out a bare footprint, which he concluded was too large to be that of a child.

Moving to Saretzky’s apartment, located next to Prestige Cleaning, Cpl. Ridding identified a couple of red stains on the walls, a number of latex gloves throughout the property – some of which tested positive for blood – and a significant number of knives. He also photographed a crowbar, a hammer, a hatchet, three box cutters, and a pair of cowboy boots – one of which had blood on the toe – and a measuring cup that had blood in it.

In the Crown’s opening statement, they told the jury that the blood belonged to Saretzky.

Several books were noted in the apartment by Cpl. Ridding, including ‘The HarperCollins Illustrated Medical Dictionary,’ a series of three true crime books called ‘The Killer Book’ and the novel ‘Hannibal.’

Photos (shown above) were also taken of a coffee table in Saretzky’s apartment, with graffiti on it such as “One shot 1 kill” and “This is not the end. Death is only the beginning.”

The trial continues Wednesday (June 14).

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Saretzky murder trial – Day Four (June 12)

Saretzky murder trial – Day Three (June 9)