First witness called in Garland murder trial; recalls bloody scene
Posted Jan 16, 2017 4:19 pm.
Last Updated Jan 17, 2017 5:35 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The first witness in the Douglas Garland murder trial says she found blood everywhere when she went to her mom and stepfather’s Calgary home two years ago to pick up her five-year-old son.
Garland is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the disappearance of Alvin and Kathy Liknes and their grandson, Nathan O’Brien.
Jennifer O’Brien says when she arrived at the house to pick up Nathan, the door was open and there were pools of blood and bloody
handprints on the wall.
O’Brien says she couldn’t find any sign of her three family members and knew something was wrong. She says she phoned her husband to tell him that someone had killed her family and taken their bodies.
The Crown says DNA evidence, including a small piece of burned flesh, was found on Douglas Garland’s farm north of Calgary.
The Crown also claims Garland was acting on a years-long grudge against Alvin Liknes, and meticulously planned the killings.
The trial continues Tuesday, with members of the Garland family expected to testify.
