“He had done something bad, really bad”: aunt of Derek Saretzky (WARNING: Story contains graphic details)

She explained that on the evening of Sept. 8, 2015, she was at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Blairmore, where she’s the music minister, when she noticed Saretzky. She acknowledged that it was a surprise as she hadn’t seen him in the church in a number of years.

As she approached him and gave him a hug, Carmellia said he appeared happy, but that “It quickly changed to sorrow and sadness,” adding that he was shaking.

She invited him back to her home, where he had dinner with her family and still seemed to be having issues.

“He had done something bad, really bad,” Carmellia said of Saretzky’s response, when she continued to ask him what was wrong. When she asked if he was in trouble, she said he made the comment, “No, not really, not unless they find me or catch me.”

Around 10:30 that night he said he was ready to go home, and she dropped him off at his apartment in Blairmore.

The next morning, Sept. 9 – the same day that Hanne’s remains were found by a neighbour – Carmellia said she once again found Saretzky at church.

“Still sad, lonely, but a lot calmer,” she explained of his demeanor. She took him for a coffee, and he came with her to what she referred to as her family’s ranch. Photos shown in court revealed that it was the campsite where Hailey’s remains would be discovered the following week. During a re-enactment with police, Saretzky told officers that he had never been there before, and that God had led him to the spot.

While at the site, Carmellia said Saretzky looked around and became particularly interested in a pile of wood, which birds were coming and going from. In the re-enactment video, Saretzky said that’s where he got the wood for the fire he used to burn Hailey’s body.

The Crown also asked Carmellia about a call she received from her son early in the next week, shortly after Terry’s body was found and an Amber Alert was issued for Hailey. She said that he had found something in the fire pit when he had gone out there, and that she told him to call 911. In an Agreed Statement of Facts, it was noted that he had found bones in the fire pit.

During cross examination from defence lawyer, Patrick Edgerton, Carmellia noted that in her time working with Hanne as her Special Olympics coach, Hanne had told her that she had hidden money in a bag in her freezer.

Earlier in the day, a medical examiner went over the results from autopsies conducted on Terry and Hailey.

Dr. Tera Jones was only able to provide a brief overview of her findings for Hailey, as her body had been destroyed by the fire.

Also in the Agreed Statement of Facts, the jury was informed that investigators couldn’t even test the bones for DNA due to heat damage, but that a forensic anthropologist determined they belonged to a child between the ages of two and four.

Dr. Jones explained that while examining the bones, she found evidence of “various tool marks,” and while she couldn’t determine how the toddler died, “It wasn’t in keeping with a natural death.”

The report for Terry was significantly longer.

In it, Dr. Jones stated that she documented 30 blunt force and 12 sharp force injuries. She noted multiple skull fractures that left bruises on Terry’s brain, even saying that a “black foreign material” that she could not identify was embedded in the bone in several places.

One of the most extreme injuries was “a gaping incised wound” to Terry’s throat, that measured 25.5 cm by 5.5 cm. She said it cut through the right and left external jugular veins, the right and left carotid arteries, the superior upper portions of the thyroid cartilage, the esophagus and even incised a bone in his spine.

When asked about tissue reaction around the neck and what it meant, Dr. Jones explained that it indicated Terry was still alive when his throat was cut.

Outside the courthouse and following the day’s evidence, Carmellia took a few minutes to speak with the media.

“I’d just like to say that the community of the Crowsnest Pass, the citizens of Lethbridge, our family, friends, those that know us, they’ve been very, very good with us throughout this very trying time,” she stated. “I’d like to thank all those people for supporting us, and the Blanchette family, who continue to send us messages of love and support and prayers. Our heart goes out to those families, Terry’s, Hailey’s and Hanne’s… It’s hard for all of us.

“I haven’t seen what you all have been seeing, I’ve been on a media ban until I testified today – I don’t know if I want to see – but eventually, when we have answers, we can maybe get some closure,” she continued.

Carmellia also acknowledged some relief, now that her part in the process is over.

“It was a very hard thing, and at first, I don’t think we believed Derek was involved, or we had no idea really. Your mind is numb, you’re thinking, ‘No, it can’t be real.’”

The trial continues Tuesday morning (June 20).

—

Saretzky murder trial – Day Eight (June 16)

Saretzky murder trial – Day Seven (June 15)

by Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

“He had done something bad, really bad”: aunt of Derek Saretzky (WARNING: Story contains graphic details)

What's Happening