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Ottawa

Howard Richmond's trial in wife's death resumes in Ottawa

A Canadian soldier on trial for murdering his wife broke down in sobs during a videotaped police interview after her body was found stabbed in a wooded ditch days after he reported her missing in July 2013.

Melissa Richmond, 28, was found stabbed to death in a South Keys ditch in July 2013

The body of 28-year-old Melissa Richmond, left, was found in a ditch near the South Keys Shopping Centre on July 28, 2013, just days after she was reported missing by her husband, 52-year-old Howard Richmond.

A Canadian soldier on trial formurdering his wife broke down in sobs during a videotapedpolice interview when her body was found stabbed in a wooded ditch days after he reported her missing in July 2013.

Howard Richmond is seen in the video cupping his hands in front of him and rocking back and forth on a couch, and laterbanging his fists, saying "No, no," when the officer interviewing him leaves him alone in the room on July 28, 2013.

"I hope she didn't suffer," he tells his close friend JeffThornton, who enters the room near the end of the 40-minute video. Court heard last week thatThorntonadmitted he was having an affair with his friend's wife,Melissa Richmond.

Howard Richmond,a 52-year-old warrant officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, admitted to stabbinghis28-year-old wife with a knife and screwdriver at the outset of histrial last week but hepleaded not guilty tofirst-degree murder.

His lawyers have argued he is not criminally responsible because he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, after servingsix tours of duty.

The Crown has arguedthatthe couple'smarriage had been deteriorating for several months before the killing, and that Melissa Richmond had been considering leaving her husband.

Howard Richmond reported to police in 2013 that his wife went fora car ride around 11:30 p.m.on July 24, 2013,to "clear her head" but never returned to their Winchester, Ont. home,locatedin a rural community about 60 kilometres south of downtown Ottawa.

Her body was found in a deep ditchnear South Keys Shopping Centre days later.