Turcotte murder trial resumes with more Crown testimony following brief hiatus

SAINT-JEROME, Que. — A former cardiologist on trial in the stabbing deaths of his two young children searched the Internet for material related to suicide and methanol in the days leading up to the slayings.

Guy Turcotte’s jury trial is hearing today that his laptop computer was searched by provincial police investigator Michel Dufour, who noted the search terms.

Dufour says the word ‘suicide’ did not come up prior to Feb. 15, 2009 — the same date Turcotte’s laptop was used to gain access to what was described as a discussion forum on suicide.

Turcotte has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his son Olivier, 5, and daughter Anne-Sophie, 3, but has admitted to causing their deaths on Feb. 20, 2009.

The trial resumed today after sitting for just a few days last week due to jurors being unavailable.

Dufour’s examination of the computer also turned up searches on methanol — a toxic alcohol — and on ethylene glycol.

The jury has heard Turcotte arrived at the hospital the morning after the slayings with an unknown level of toxic alcohol in his bloodstream.

A container of windshield washer fluid — which contains methanol — was seized by police in the bathroom of the family home.

Turcotte’s lawyer, Pierre Poupart, attempted Tuesday to discredit the information gathered as incomplete, error-laden and incomprehensible.

“Pages and pages of inexplicable scribbles,” Poupart said at one point about the computer records filed in evidence.

The Canadian Press