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8- The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday May 26, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Jury views video-taped evidence of body parts By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF There was an ear in the kitchen sink. A human skull was pulled from several garbage bags. Packaged up bones and organs were taken out of a freezer. These were among the disturbing images a jury in a Milton courthouse saw Friday. George Arsoniadis, 30, has pleaded not guilty to the slaying of his 31-yearold sister Helen, who in July of 2005 was found dismembered in the 40 Old Mill Rd. condominium they shared. He is charged with second degree murder and has been in custody since his arrest July 11, 2005. The court heard Thursday from defence attorney Paul O'Marra that later in the trial, George will admit to killing his sister, but that it was in self defence. Friday marked what crown attorney Andrew Goodman warned the jury would be the most graphic part of the trial, with video and photo evidence showing George and Helen's upper penthouse apartment. George, a tall man with dark hair, watched much of the video and photo evidence presented, but he put his head down as a video was shown of his sister's skull being unwrapped. "The skull basically looks like one you might see in a museum, it doesn't look like a man or a woman," Justice John Sproat told the jury, just before the video was played. All eyes from the jury were on a large TV screen while the July 12, 2005 clip showed Halton Regional Police detectives clad in white suits and blue gloves struggling to uncover the skull, which the court later heard was wrapped and knotted in five garbage bags. One female member of the jury put her hand briefly on another jury member's shoulder as the bag was unwrapped and the skull revealed. Until that bag was opened, Halton Regional Police Det. David Banks testified Friday, "We didn't know whether we were looking at human or animal remains." A forensic investigator, Banks testified it wasn't until the next day that they were able to confirm through "dental remains" that the skull they found in the freezer belonged to Helen Arsoniadis. Her DNA matched blood stains on an extra large white t-shirt found rolled up in a bag in the bedroom, "The skull basically looks like one you might see in a museum, it doesn't look like a man or a woman." Justice John Sproat speaking to the jury before they viewed a video in court as well as blood stains on a Stanley hacksaw found in the bathroom sink, the court was told. Banks spent Friday on the stand explaining the evidence he and other officers came across during a five-day investigation. The jury viewed pictures and videos of what investigators found throughout his testimony. After the skull was discovered, Banks said the next task was to "remove as many items as we suspected to be human from the apartment." The jury watched a video showing quick snapshots of individually packaged parts of a human body that had been removed from the freezer ­ a right shoulder blade and upper arm bone, a left upper arm and part of the shoulder, both hands, both feet and both forearms. Another plastic bag taken out of the freezer contained soft muscle tissue, Banks testified, while a beige bag in the bottom of the freezer held liver, kidney and part of a large small bowel. Body parts ­ found in the freezer, kitchen sink and tub ­ were then taken to Hamilton General Hospital for an autopsy, said Banks. Pictures of the kitchen sink were shown, containing an ear, long curly dark hair, pieces of skin and scalp, along with soiled scissors and a knife. "We could see a large section of the head, hair, pieces of skin," Banks said. Videos and photos of the kitchen showed the elements removed from the stove, and a residue around the sink and stove area the detective described as "a yellowy, fatty, waxy type" that attracted maggots and pupae. Photos showed a large pot with a dark staining on the left side of the double sink. Curly dark hair was stuck to the inside of the pot's lid. "It appears liquid overflowed from the pot and spilled onto the floor," Banks told the jury. "It's consistent with the head being in the pot at one point and the liquid boiling over." Banks told the court 170 items were retrieved from the scene, including knives, stained tools and swabs of what he says "appear to be blood stains." Many of these items were photographed and shown to the jury. Among the most graphic evidence was a stained hacksaw in the bathroom sink, and the scene in the bathtub. The tub housed a seven-inch miter saw, a kitchen knife, and on the bottom was what Banks called "a mixture of kitty litter and possibly some human remains." The jury also saw photos and video clips showing clothing in the bathtub, including jeans and a striped shirt, both heavily stained and cut in several places, as well as a bra and belt. The trial resumes Monday morning, with Det. Banks expected to continue his testimony. Auction Canadian Hardwood Directions: Highway 403 to Dundas Street go east one block to Hyde Park Gate turn right then right again on Bristol Circle and watch for the signs. Rotary makes a difference in Oakville and around the world. 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