A forensic pathologist testified at a murder trial that a Saskatoon man died of ligature strangulation.
Leo Daniels, 37, is charged with first-degree murder, robbery and unlawful confinement in the death of Richard Fernuk, 68, whose body was found by police on Aug. 3, 2019.
Officers found Fernuk dead in his apartment in the 2200 block of St. Charles Avenue when they arrived to perform a welfare check.
Forensic pathologist Shaun Landham told the courtroom that when he examined Fernuk’s body, he saw head trauma and didn’t know the cause of death at the time.
Court photos show he had several cables tied around his neck, including a black HDMI cord. There were blue, red and white shorts and a pair of underwear stuffed into his mouth. The strings of the swim shorts were also tied around his neck three times.
“They’re tight enough they squish the skin so blood can’t get into it,” Landham said regarding the tightness of the cables and strings that left white marks on Fernuk’s neck.
He was wearing a green Roughriders T-shirt and jean shorts with a belt and no blood appeared to be on his clothes, Landham told the courtroom.
Police found Fernuk tied to a chair and on the floor where his head hit the ground. The time of this death is not known.
Landham says he came to the conclusion Fernuk died by strangulation.
Photos showed Fernuk’s body after the cables and his clothing were removed, which revealed parts of his skin being white and blanched from pressure from being on the ground.
He had several hemorrhages on his eyelids, eyeball and skin around the eyes. His inner lips and cheeks were dark and bruised, showing smaller hemorrhages.
Graphic photos showed Fernuk’s scalp pulled back which revealed more hemorrhaging around his left ear and on the soft tissues of his brain.
Landham says all these factors are signs of strangulation.
Fernuk was taken to hospital on the evening of Aug. 1 after calling 911 and reporting chest pains. He was treated and left the hospital at 3 am and was found dead the next day by police at 2 pm
The courtroom heard how he had 104 mg of alcohol in his system at the time of his death.
When cross-examining the witness, defense lawyer Blaine Beaven asked Landham several times if by looking at the autopsy if he was able to determine the time of death.
“Nothing I can say for sure,” he said.
The trial is set to resume on Thursday.