SAINT-JEROME, Que. — An expert says he believes Guy Turcotte stabbed his children with his right hand while holding them down with the other because his left shirt sleeve had traces of blood.
Francois Julien told the ex-doctor's trial Monday that Turcotte, who is right-handed, touched a number of items in the home before the blood had time to dry, including a glass and a container of windshield washer.
Turcotte, 43, is facing two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of Olivier, 5, and Anne-Sophie, 3.
Julien, a blood-spatter expert, testified the blood on the washer fluid container was mostly the young girl's.
Last week, Julien testified that Olivier was likely attacked first and then Anne-Sophie because there was blood on the doorknob of the girl's room.
Under cross-examination, Julien said he wasn't able to establish whether Turcotte was injured and bleeding around the time of the slayings, but maintained he had "no evidence on the scene that another person had bled."
Defence attorney Pierre Poupart questioned Julien at length about a mysterious, large black spot found on the bed of the accused.
Julien said the colour of the stain was "bizarre" and contained traces of Turcotte's blood, but he couldn't say how much.
It was enough to obtain a positive result, Julien said.
Pathologist Andre Bourgault testified Monday that Anne-Sophie's heart was pierced, while Olivier's hands had wounds.
"He tried to defend himself between four and seven times," said Bourgault, who has conducted more than 4,000 autopsies in his career.
He said Olivier was stabbed 27 times and Anne-Sophie 19 times. They had wounds to the stomach, the thorax and on their back.
Turcotte's trial will be shortened this week as one juror has a medical appointment and another has to attend a wake and a funeral for a relative who passed away on the weekend.
It will sit all day Tuesday as well as Wednesday morning.
