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Victims had several stab wounds, not breathing during fire

Double murder trial against Benjamin Ronald Marki continues with testimony from forensic pathologist who conducted autopsies of Wilfred Pott and Anne Chuchmuch.
Pott Chuchmuch
Wilfred Pott, 60, and Anne Chuchmuch, 50, died on the night of Dec. 27, 2015. (tbnewswatch file photograph)

THUNDER BAY – Two victims found inside a burning Brant Street home each had lethal stab wounds that left them dead before the fire, a forensic pathologist testified as the double murder trial continued Thursday.

Dr. Michael Pickup took the stand during the third day of proceedings in the trial against Benjamin Ronald Marki, who stands trial on two charges of second degree murder, one count of arson endangering life and one count of committing an indignity to a body in the December 2015 deaths of Wilfred Pott and Anne Chuchmuch.

Emergency responders were called to the County Fair area home on the night of Dec. 27, 2015, where they found the 60-year-old Pott unresponsive and the burned remains of the 50-year-old Chuchmuch.

Pickup, who conducted both of the autopsies, said Chuchmuch’s body was charred, had heat-related skin splitting, hair was singed off and had a strong odour of gasoline when he opened the body bag in a Toronto laboratory.

But there was no evidence of soot in her airways, Pickup told the court, which is a key indicator of whether a victim was alive at the time of a blaze.

“It means she was dead before her body was affected by the fire or smoke,” Pickup testified.

Pickup identified at least 40 total stab wounds, of which 12 were lethal or potentially lethal. Those included a stab wound to the chest that injured the heart, another to the neck that would have sent blood into the airway and others that contacted the diaphragm, spleen and kidney.

The cause of death was stab wounds to the neck and torso with the mechanism of death likely being a combination of blood loss and asphyxiation of blood, Pickup said.

The pathologist also described a number of non-lethal stab wounds to Chuchmuch’s head that resulted in numerous facial fractures.

Pickup said the victim’s body was delivered to his laboratory wearing some clothing that had been partially burned away and was covered in melted plastic that appeared to be from a jerry can.

Firefighters had found Pott first inside the home and removed him before he was later pronounced dead.

The autopsy found there was no charring or burns to the external surface of the body and also did not have any soot in the airways.

“He was not breathing at the time the fire was around him,” Pickup said.

Pickup discovered 10 separate injuries to the head and neck area, including at least seven stab wounds. The cause of death was determined to be a stab wound to Pott’s left thigh, which went nearly 14 centimetres deep and hit the femoral artery.

The court also heard testimony from John Zahn, a close friend of Pott.

Under cross-examination from defence lawyer George Joseph, Zahn said there had been signs of tension in the relationship between Pott and Chuchmuch, including a fight between the couple while he was visiting them on Christmas Day, just two days before the fire.

He said Pott had been growing frustrated with Chuchmuch for her apparent continued lying and a possible theft from the Kiwanis Club in which the two friends were involved.

Zahn described himself as being “two or three” on a scale of one to 10 for his fondness towards Chuchmuch.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Sadler is expected to next call a chemist expert to testify about substances found at the scene and a fire investigator as the trial continues on Friday.



About the Author: Matt Vis

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