Canada - Terry, 27, & Hailey Blanchette, 2, Blairmore, AB, 14 Sept 2015 #2

[ILoveDateline]

Quinn Campbell‏Verified account @quinnLcampbell 14m14 minutes ago
Witness is done, no cross by the defence #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 14m14 minutes ago
The third witness is Derek Saretzky's grandfather Terry Megli. #Saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 13m13 minutes ago
Terrence Megli now testifying. He is a 25-year friend of Meketech. He is also Derek Saretzky's maternal grandfather. #Saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 13m13 minutes ago
On to third witness of the morning. Next is Terry Megli, grandfather of Derek #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 14m14 minutes ago
Megli knew Meketech for 25 years. The two were neighbours. #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 13m13 minutes ago
Terry Megli is Derek Saretzky's maternal grandfather and was a neighbour of Hanne Meketech. #saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 13m13 minutes ago
Terrence's wife Judy was also friends with Meketech. #Saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 13m13 minutes ago
Megli: "She was a little simple... I don't know how to say it. I don't want to be disrespectful to her... She was a good friend." #Saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 13m13 minutes ago
Megli and his wife were friends and neighbours of Meketech #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 13m13 minutes ago
Megli says Meketech was "a very nice lady. Animal lover. She was a good friend with a really big heart. There if you needed her." #Saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 13m13 minutes ago
"She had a real big heart, she was there if you needed her," Megli says of Meketech #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 13m13 minutes ago
Megli describes Hanne Meketech as a good friend. #saretzky knew her and lived across the street from her for a period of time.

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 13m13 minutes ago
Megli says #Saretzky also knew Meketech. His daughter Sherry (Derek's mom) lived next to Meketech briefly.

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 13m13 minutes ago
Megli says Derek Saretzky lived across the street from Meketech, with his mother, for a short period of time. #Saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 13m13 minutes ago
"He was at her house to mow lawns and stuff," Megli says of Derek #Saretzky's involvement with Meketech.

J.W. Schnarr‏ @JWSchnarrHerald 13m13 minutes ago
Saretzky's grandfather Terry Megli is on the stand, describes Meketech as a simple woman with a big heart. Said Saretzky knew her. #saretzky

Quinn Campbell‏Verified account @quinnLcampbell 12m12 minutes ago
Derek's grandfather now on the stand, Terry Megli. Knew Meketech for about 25 years. Says she was a very nice lady #Saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 12m12 minutes ago
Terrence's wife was executor of Meketech's estate but stepped aside after Derek #Saretzky was charged with her murder.

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 12m12 minutes ago
Megli says Derek Saretzky used to mow Meketech's lawn. #Saretzky.

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 12m12 minutes ago
"He was having trouble with alcohol and with drugs, and I didn't want that in my house," Megli says of Derek #Saretzky's recent past.

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 12m12 minutes ago
Megli says Derek lived across street from Meketech briefly. Used to mow her lawn and help out #Saretzky


Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 11m11 minutes ago
Megli notes that Derek was "Having trouble with alcohol and drugs" #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 11m11 minutes ago
Megli says Derek asked to see him in Sept '15 but claims #Saretzky was having problems w/ drugs & alcohol & didn't want that in his house.

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 11m11 minutes ago
Megli's wife was executor of Hanne Meketech's estate but had to step down from that duty after #saretzky was charged with her murder.

Bryan Labby‏Verified account @CBCBryan 10m10 minutes ago
Terry Megli, Derek #Saretzky's maternal grandfather testified Saretzky was having trouble with alcohol and drugs in Sept, 2015.

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 10m10 minutes ago
Megli's wife was the executor of Hanne Meketech's will but had to step down after the charges were laid against Derek Saretzky. #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 9m9 minutes ago
We are on a brief morning break. #Saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 9m9 minutes ago
Megli's wife had been the executor of Meketech's estate, but stepped down after Derek was charged #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 8m8 minutes ago
Court on morning break. Cross-examination of Terry Megli by defence lawyer Patrick Edgerton still to come. #saretzky

Quinn Campbell‏Verified account @quinnLcampbell 8m8 minutes ago
Megli says Derek asked to speak to him in Sept. 2015 but says #Saretzky was having drug/ alcohol issues and didn't want him in his house

J.W. Schnarr‏ @JWSchnarrHerald 8m8 minutes ago
Megli was unavailable when Derek asked to see him in Sept. 2015. Said he did not approve of Saretzky's drug and alcohol use. #saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 7m7 minutes ago
Cross examination of Megli will proceed after the morning break #Saretzky

J.W. Schnarr‏ @JWSchnarrHerald 4m4 minutes ago
Defence asks for a break before cross examination of Terry Megli. #saretzky

https://twitter.com/cbcfletch?lang=en

https://twitter.com/CTVKaellaCarr

https://twitter.com/PatrickBurles?lang=en

https://twitter.com/KMartinCourts

https://twitter.com/BillGraveland

https://twitter.com/Leth_Herald

https://twitter.com/quinnLcampbell

https://twitter.com/CBCBryan?lang=en

 

[Jemska48]

Is it just me or are they taking a ton of breaks??

 

[Satchie]

Is it just me or are they taking a ton of breaks??

Might be for the sake of the jury, these kind of trials are hard on them.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[ILoveDateline]

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 3m3 minutes ago
Defence is beginning cross examination of Terry Megli #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 3m3 minutes ago
Jury back in #saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 3m3 minutes ago
Defence now cross-examining #Saretzky's grandfather. Asking him if he ever saw accused fight or argue with Meketech. Answer: No.

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 2m2 minutes ago
When asked by defence if he ever saw any fights or arguments between Meketech and Derek, Megli says "No sir" #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 2m2 minutes ago
Megli says he never witnessed any fights or arguments between his grandson and Meketech. #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 2m2 minutes ago
Terry Megli never saw his grandson Derek #Saretzky fight or argue with Hanne Meketech.

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 2m2 minutes ago
Meketech had "bad divorce" from her ex-husband, Megli says in cross-exam. "I know she didn't like him. She made that very clear." #Saretzky

Quinn Campbell‏Verified account @quinnLcampbell 2m2 minutes ago
Megli says he doesn't know much about Meketechs divorce but that it was a bad one. #saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 2m2 minutes ago
Megli says Meketech had gone through a bad divorce. Says she made it clear she didn't like her ex #Saretzky

J.W. Schnarr‏ @JWSchnarrHerald 2m2 minutes ago
Trial resumes with cross examination of Terry Megli. Defence says he never saw an argument between Saretzky and Meketech. #saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 2m2 minutes ago
Megli says Meketech had a knee replacement and several other minor procedures. He wasn't aware if she had any prescription drugs. #Saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 1m1 minute ago
Cross exam going slowly. Defence lawyer just paused for about 25 seconds between questions. #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 50s50 seconds ago
Megli says Meketech and her ex-husband went through a bad divorce and often got into fights. #Saretzky

J.W. Schnarr‏ @JWSchnarrHerald 39s40 seconds ago
Megli says Meketech did have arguments with her ex over ownership of the trailer. #saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 43s43 seconds ago
Hanne Meketech had a messy divorce with her ex-husband, neighbour Terry Megli says. "She didn't like him she made that very clear" #saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 49s50 seconds ago
Megli says Meketech had some money and had recently purchased new TV and washing machine for the mobile home. #Saretzky

Quinn Campbell‏Verified account @quinnLcampbell 32s33 seconds ago
Megli says Meketech had received an inheritance from her mother, thinks she kept it at home. She didn't trust the bank #Saretzky

BBM: not slow enough for my fingers. LOL

https://twitter.com/cbcfletch?lang=en

https://twitter.com/CTVKaellaCarr

https://twitter.com/PatrickBurles?lang=en

https://twitter.com/KMartinCourts

https://twitter.com/BillGraveland

https://twitter.com/Leth_Herald

https://twitter.com/quinnLcampbell

https://twitter.com/CBCBryan?lang=en

 

[ILoveDateline]

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 2m2 minutes ago
Under cross-exam, Megli says Meketech had around $90,000 and likely kept it in the mobile home. "She didn't trust the bank." #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 2m2 minutes ago
Terry Megli says Hanne Meketech inherited somewhere around $90,000 and he believes she kept it at home. #saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 1m1 minute ago
Megli says Meketech came into about 90,000 dollars. Says she kept it in her trailer because she didn't trust the banks. #Saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 1m1 minute ago
Megli says Meketech had received an inheritance from her mother's passing, somewhere around $90,000. Thinks she kept it at home #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 1m1 minute ago
Defence is done with their cross-examination of Megli. #Saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 1m1 minute ago
Defence asks about Megli's statement to police about Meketech fighting with a neighbour at one point. (1/2) #Saretzky

Quinn Campbell‏Verified account @quinnLcampbell 1m1 minute ago
Megli thinks the inheritance was about $90,000. #saretzky

Robson Fletcher‏Verified account @CBCFletch 1m1 minute ago
Megli says it wasn't serious. Just "two old hags just getting on each other's nerves." #Saretzky

Kaella Carr‏Verified account @CTVKaellaCarr 1m1 minute ago
The Crown has wrapped their evidence for the day. Trial will resume Monday morning at 9:30. #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 1m1 minute ago
Hanne Meketech didn't get along with one neighbour, says Megli. "Two old hags just getting on each other's nerves." #saretzky

Bryan Labby‏Verified account @CBCBryan 46s46 seconds ago
#Saretzky's maternal grandfather is now under cross-examination. He says Meketech inherited some money and kept it in her trailer.

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 1m1 minute ago
Terry Megli's testimony done. Jury dismissed for the weekend. #saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 58s59 seconds ago
That's it for today. Crown says, "We've kept it light. We had a tough day yesterday." #Saretzky

https://twitter.com/cbcfletch?lang=en

https://twitter.com/CTVKaellaCarr

https://twitter.com/PatrickBurles?lang=en

https://twitter.com/KMartinCourts

https://twitter.com/BillGraveland

https://twitter.com/Leth_Herald

https://twitter.com/quinnLcampbell

https://twitter.com/CBCBryan?lang=en

 

[ILoveDateline]

Bill Graveland‏Verified account @BillGraveland 1m1 minute ago
An early day. Case adjourned until Monday. #Saretzky

Patrick Burles‏ @PatrickBurles 51s52 seconds ago
Replying to @PatrickBurles
Trial will resume Monday morning at 9:30 #Saretzky

Kevin Martin‏Verified account @KMartinCourts 50s51 seconds ago
After brief discussion with counsel, Justice William Tilleman adjourns court for the weekend. Trial to resume Monday. #saretzky

That's it for me too.

https://twitter.com/BillGraveland
https://twitter.com/PatrickBurles?lang=en
https://twitter.com/KMartinCourts

 

[Jemska48]

Thank you ILoveDateline for posting all the tweets!!

 

[gremlingrrl]

What's with the "Church times" listed below?

Mostly 9 am....doubt he was a churchgoer.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

Those look like standard mass times.

 

[dogmatica]

I suppose there are killers who regularly attend church, but it wouldn't surprise me if those were the times Meketech attended church. Just a thought.

 

[Blue Amethyst]

Thanks for the tweets. Another heartbreaking case involving a child. Tough for DS's parents too and they probably wonder what happened to their child along the way that would cause him to grow up and murder three people. For the families of Terry and Hailey it must be absolutely devastating and I wonder if they are attending the trial. I don't know if I could ever be on a jury for murder and I can see why they need breaks to gather their composure. This case is way more gruesome than I had thought.

 

[otto]

I find it odd that she was found wearing underwear bottoms. Was she sleeping like that? Perhaps she was wearing more clothing and that came off during the struggle? Clearly she bled out, but she died from blunt force trauma? Was this just an extremely violent attack for the sake of violence or did Derek steal the $90,000?

"There was also a large pool of blood, covering about six square feet, below Meketech's body, he said.

"She was lying on her right side, naked except for she had some underwear bottoms on," Davidson said.

While bloodstains were found throughout the home, those outside the bedroom appear to have come from Meketech's pets tracking blood around. The injury-related bloodstains were limited to the bedroom, Davidson said."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/derek-saretzky-trial-day-two-1.4151420

 

[otto]

Terry was attacked while he was sleeping, and the timeline for Meketech suggests the same thing happened to her. Did he murder Meketech for money, and Terry and his daughter for vengeance?

"He was Meketech's neighbour and he recalled specifically that the door to her mobile home was closed and secure around 8:45 p.m on Sept. 8, 2015.

He testified that he was out walking his dog at the time and remembered how his dog ran up to the door and sniffed it.

Police found the door broken and ajar the following day. Meketech's body was discovered in a bloody scene in the bedroom."

 

[Tealgrove]

Terry was attacked while he was sleeping, and the timeline for Meketech suggests the same thing happened to her. Did he murder Meketech for money, and Terry and his daughter for vengeance?

"He was Meketech's neighbour and he recalled specifically that the door to her mobile home was closed and secure around 8:45 p.m on Sept. 8, 2015.

He testified that he was out walking his dog at the time and remembered how his dog ran up to the door and sniffed it.

Police found the door broken and ajar the following day. Meketech's body was discovered in a bloody scene in the bedroom."

I've followed many trials here on WS but I must say I'm having a really difficult time figuring out what all of this is about. I guess we won't know what his motive was until we see the videos of his confessions. I found the Crown's opening statement somewhat void of information and direction. Maybe it didn't come through in the tweets very well, but I'm a bit lost to tell you the truth.

 

[subwaydreaming]

It's odd that grandfather Terry Megli didn't want to be disrespectful by referring to Hanne as "simple" but later on refers to her as an old hag. Not reading anything into it - just strange.

 

[mellie89]

Saretzky’s home was searched based on observations made during an initial search for Dunbar-Blanchette.
Among the items collected by police was a calendar with the words “set me free” in the boxes from Sept. 1 to 9, and the word “strength” from Sept. 13 to 18.

http://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2017/06/07/graphic-testimony-opens-saretzky-trial/

Interesting. Hanne was found dead on September 9th and Terry and Hailey were found dead on September 14th.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[gremlingrrl]

I've followed many trials here on WS but I must say I'm having a really difficult time figuring out what all of this is about. I guess we won't know what his motive was until we see the videos of his confessions. I found the Crown's opening statement somewhat void of information and direction. Maybe it didn't come through in the tweets very well, but I'm a bit lost to tell you the truth.

I agree. This is the first trial I've followed that had a full confession. Normally the crown's opening is more comprehensive, but with so much left to "we'll let you hear it from him", it really does leave a giant piece of the picture missing.

 

[otto]

I've followed many trials here on WS but I must say I'm having a really difficult time figuring out what all of this is about. I guess we won't know what his motive was until we see the videos of his confessions. I found the Crown's opening statement somewhat void of information and direction. Maybe it didn't come through in the tweets very well, but I'm a bit lost to tell you the truth.

I wonder if Derek has schizophrenia. My understanding is that onset is in the early 20s, and Saretzky was 24 years old at the time of the murders. Derek's grandfather mentioned Derek's drug and alcohol abuse at the time of the murders. I know a schizophrenic who went from undiagnosed to full blown illness after taking LSD one day. I'm really just looking for some sort of explanation for why he murdered his 69 year old neighbour, the ex-husband of a friend, and his young child, as there is no obvious consistency in motive. Derek was hospitalized after his arrest, which I assume was related to a suicide attempt. Did he somewhat come to realize what he had done after he was arrested and separated from drug and alcohol abuse?

Is it possible that although he helped the 69 year old victim with yard care, he resented it or expected more in terms of compensation? Regarding the murders of Terry and his daughter, was he resentful of Terry? Did Derek view Terry as somehow interfering with his friendship with Hailey's mother? Did Hailey represent everything that went wrong in Derek's life according to his narrow, small-town view of life?

In a way, these murders remind me of irrational murders committed by Douglas Garland - where there was an irrational fixation of a perceived wrong.

 

[Satchie]

I agree. This is the first trial I've followed that had a full confession. Normally the crown's opening is more comprehensive, but with so much left to "we'll let you hear it from him", it really does leave a giant piece of the picture missing.

I suppose they don't really have evidence of a motive, except an apparent interest in books about serial killers. So they're just presenting what they have evidence about. I don't think there's much of a motive for serial killers, except that they take pleasure in killing people.

BTW, none of the evidence so far links DS to the crimes.

But I wonder if Hanne was chosen because he was familiar with her home/habits, maybe knew she hid money, and felt confident he could overpower her and get away with it. The very sad thought occurs to me that she was 'practice'.

It might be his defence that he has schizophrenia. I recall there was a murder in my town, the guy was ruled NCR for a combination of schizophrenia and being on drugs. But he went suddenly ballistic on his friends in the middle of the day and walked around covered in blood, not breaking into homes at 3 am and then cleaning up/acting normal enough to carry on undetected.

BTW, if I 'thank' posters Tapatalk will clutter up my feed, so I'm not going to do it anymore.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[matou]

So did he steal her $90 000 or try to? Seems like a motive to me.

 

[blacksheep]

I just came to catch up and a couple of things occurred to me.

1. The "sleepers for the dogs". I just now thought that maybe he broke in, gave something to the dogs to make them sleep so they wouldn't bark and then killed HM in her sleep. But he left the dogs there, with no one to care for them and they were very attached to HM. Creep.

2. I just wanted to mention 2 evidence pics that are on the global news site. One of them has an illustrated book of human anatomy sitting on top off a tool box taken inside Derek's apartment and additionally there are also 2 pics of what looks like charred bone fragments.

If he gave detailed accounts of each murder and this is as bad as it sounds - I do not know how a mother could sit in a court room and hear his confession(s) and see the evidence and not want to have a total breakdown or run or whatever else you want to do to someone who harms your child. At least Garland kept silent. I am now thinking that may have been a small, and I mean very small blessing for the O'Briens