Wounds on woman lying in puddle indicated suspicious death: OPP officer
Koree Dockstater, 34, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Shaniqua Henry, 27
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The officer wrote in his notes that he was being dispatched to a sudden-death occurrence that was “a possible fentanyl overdose.”
But OPP identification Const. Rob Laaper testified Tuesday the death was deemed to be suspicious in nature because of wounds on the deceased’s arms.
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“Cut to the bone. No blood,” he wrote in his notebook at the crime scene on July 19, 2022, after arriving around 10 a.m.
“That was not a typical fentanyl overdose and I’ve been to many,” Laaper said at the Superior Court trial of Koree Dockstater, 34, who has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Shaniqua Henry, 27, on July 19, 2022.
Justice Marc Garson has heard three civilians found Henry’s body in a large puddle at an address on Jubilee Road at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, southwest of London. An autopsy revealed she died of a stab wound to the heart.
Laaper was the first police officer called to testify by the Crown. As a forensic officer, he was tasked with taking photographs of the crime scene and later that day, of a black Impala at an address on Oneida Road.
The court was shown some of those photographs, including those that showed Henry’s body lying in the puddle and the gaping, bloodless wounds on her left arm that were previously shown in autopsy photos. Beside her on the ground were various pieces of medical equipment debris that had been used by paramedics who tried to resuscitate her.
The puddle, he said, was 25- to 27-millimetres deep and the water temperature was 32 C. Assistant crown attorney Roger Dietrich asked if there was any evidence of blood in the water, but Laaper said there was nothing obvious and would require additional testing to detect it.
Laaper and other officers were called to the Oneida Road address, arriving there just before 2:30 p.m. to seize a car that was “possibly owned by the accused.”
Photos of the car were shown to the court, including one of the right front wheel that had what looked like a blood droplet on it. The car was towed to the secure bay at the Tillsonburg OPP detachment.
Laaper said two cellphones were found in the home and what appeared to be blood on a toilet paper roll.
Before Laaper testified, defence lawyer Geoff Snow cross-examined Edward Tweedie, the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy on Henry’s body and discovered the stab wound to Henry’s left breast and determined her cause of death.
Tweedie reviewed the toxicology findings of blood extracted from Henry at the autopsy.
Cocaine, methamphetamine and alcohol, along with their metabolites were found in Henry’s system. Her blood alcohol reading was 169 milligrams of blood in 100 millititres of blood, more than twice the legal limit for driving.
The report referred to the amount of drugs as “within the ranges associated with recreational use.”
The trial continues on Wednesday.
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