Douglas Garland triple murder trial hears victims 'may still have been alive' after violence at home

Based on the amount of blood found in the home where a five-year-old boy and his grandparents were last seen, all three could have survived their injuries,according to the testimony of Calgary's chief medical examiner.

Dr. ElizabethBrooks-Limtestified at Douglas Garland's triple murder trial on Wednesday. She was brought into the investigation on July 2, 2014 to examine the blood found at the home ofAlvin and KathyLiknes, whosegrandson, Nathan O'Brien, 5, had beensleeping over when the three disappeared.

Brooks-Lim said there were "three areas of bloodletting" in the house in two bedroomsand in an entryway. There were also bloody drag marks throughout.

But Brooks-Lim testified there wasn't enough blood to definitively say the victims' injuries were fatal.

"They may still have been alive," she said.

Garland is being tried on three counts of first-degree murder. The three family memberswere last seen alive at the grandparents'homein the southwest Calgary neighbourhood ofParkhill.

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In his cross-examination of the medical examiner, defence lawyer Kim Ross asked if it was more likely the missing family members died at the home, based on bloodmixed with hair found in one of the bedrooms and drag marks whichcould suggest unconscious victims.

Brooks-Lim said it was possible, but she could not confirm the trio died at the Likneshome.

Police also brought Brooks-Limtothe farm north of Calgary where Garland, 57, lived with his elderly parents.

There,sheexamined piecesof bonefound in ashesgathered from a burn pile, but they had burned for so long and at such a high temperature thatshe was unable to say if the brittle and charred remains were human.

But under cross-examination, Brooks-Limsaid she consulted witha forensic anthropologistwho examined the fragments under a microscope.

"I believe at least one or two fragments she felt could have been from a child under five yearsand several fragments she felt may have come from an older adult or adults,"said Brooks-Lim in citing a report prepared by Pamela Mayne Correia.

The bodies of the boy and hisgrandparentshave never been found. It is the Crown's theory that they were killed on the farm and burned.

The Crown asked Brooks-Lima number of questions about the temperature and time it would take to cremate a body. Under average and controlled conditions, it would take about two hours, she said, and at a temperature of 1,000 Cor higher, abody would burn to ash.

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Earlier on Wednesday, Const. Brian Clark with the cyber investigations team testified about hisreview of a number of documents found onthe hard drive that was hidden in the rafters of the Garland home.

Would-be killers should"stop the breathing, start the bleeding," according to one of the how-to-kill books storedon the drive.

TheDeath Dealer's Manual, said Clark,advises how to mentally prepare to kill as well as recommending the best weapon a dagger with a six-inchblade.

Clark testified the book also suggested the"most effective time to conduct a lethal assault"is between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. when a killer would have the "element of surprise" on theirside.

In the bookHitman, would-be killers are encouraged to assemble aduffelbag consisting of a kill-kit including rubbergloves, handcuffsand a six-inchdouble-edged knife with a serrated blade.

Aduffelbag containing similar items was found in an outbuilding on the Garland farm.

Under cross-examination, Clark confirmed several other items recommended in the book were not found in the bag.

Clark also outlined the bookKill Without Joy,which suggests the best method to dispose of a dead body is to remove identifiers like teeth and hands, dismember the body with a hacksaw, and then incinerate the remains.

A text on torture techniques was last accessed on June 17, 2014.

Two weeks after themassivesearch for Nathan and his grandparents began, Garland was arrested and charged with their murders on July 15, 2014.

Garland is connected to theLiknesfamily through his sister,Patti Garland, who was in a common-law relationship with AlvinLiknes'son, Allen.

Patti Garland, her parents and AllenLiknes all testified earlier in the trial that Garland harboured a grudge against AlvinLiknesafter a business relationship soured years earlier.

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Jurors were dismissed early on Wednesday to allow lawyers to address a legal issue in theirabsence.

On Thursday, a forensic dentist will testify about fragments of suspected teeth found in ashes on the Garland farm.

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