Murder suspect's DNA detected on fireplace poker in Saskatoon victim's apartment
CBC
A DNA expert with the RCMP national forensic laboratory says that a biological sample taken from a fireplace poker in murder victim Richard Fernuk's apartment matches the profile of Leo Roy Daniels.
Daniels is on trial at Court of Queen's Bench charged with first-degree murder, robbery and unlawful confinement in connection with the August 2019 death of the Saskatoon senior.
Police doing a welfare check on Fernuk on Aug. 3 discovered the 68-year-old tied to a chair in his apartment and dead.
On Thursday, Melanie Green testified about how she interpreted the results of DNA testing done on samples taken from items in Fernuk's apartment. These included pieces of electrical cord, a knife, an end table, a vacuum cord and the fireplace poker.
Green testified that there were matches on most of the items to a known sample from Fernuk.
But the other samples, save for what was taken off the fireplace poker, were too small to make a meaningful comparison beyond suggesting that they could have come from three individuals, one of whom was male.
Green said that the DNA from the poker was submitted to the national databank to see whether it matched a convicted offender who had given a sample. It matched Leo Daniels.
She added that the probability that the sample came from someone other than Daniels was one in 82 quintillion, or a one followed by 18 zeros.
Under cross examination by defence lawyer Blaine Beaven, she confirmed that the profile would not indicate the day or time that it came to be on the poker, how it got there or what he was doing when it was deposited.
She also said that there was a possibility, although not strong, that Daniels could have left DNA on an an item such as a jacket and then the jacket made contact with the poker.
The trial continues Tuesday. Among the witnesses will be pathologist Shaun Ladham, who will speak to cause of death.
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