deadmonton - the trial of michael white - november 10th, 2006
Liana White, 29, was stabbed to death July 12th, 2005.
Michael White, then 28, was charged with second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a dead body.
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With the forensic and medical evidence now seemingly dealt with, the Crown turned its attention to Michael White.
Appearing on the last day of the second week of the trial were White's neighbour and police officers who first interviewed Liana White's husband.
Next-door neighbour Frank Colautti testified that he and White had built a shared gravel driveway between their houses some time ago.
Colautti and White then dumped the resulting load of dirt and sod at a site north on 142nd Street, near Rural Route 251 at Township Road 542 – a common site for discarded junk and where Liana's body was eventually found.
Colautti was also questioned about events that took place the night before Liana disappeared.
He had asked White to move his truck so that he could put a tent trailer on property that adjoined both houses.
Standing outside the door of the White home, Coluatti said he heard Liana's voice asking Michael when he would be back. Coluatti testified the exchange took place between 10:30 and 11:00 p.m. on July 11th.
Colautti also said he didn't know of any problems with the White's marriage and was aware that Liana was pregnant.
He said the seemed couple was happy about that.
When Liana was reported missing, Colautti joined the search team and helped White and others comb through an area northwest of the city. He said White led the search (see note).
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"It was his decision where to go," testified Colautti. "He indicated where he wanted the searches to go, what to look under. It was basically his decision where to search next.”
On the fifth day of the search, the day the body was found, Colautti and his wife had gone to a birthday party instead.
Const. William Allen then told the court how the missing person's case began.
Allen and his partner Const. Vernon Tuttle were called to investigate Liana's abandoned SUV. They found the driver's door open, keys lying on the floor and Liana's purse and shoes on the ground.
Checking on the owner of the SUV, they found it listed as Michael White. They left a message on his answering machine and then drove to the White's home.
Using the keys found in the SUV, they unlocked the house and garage and found nothing out of place.
A number found in a daytimer left in the Ford Explorer, Allen reached White on his cell phone.
Allen said White sounded "distraught and anxious."
White then phoned Liana's mother, Maureen Kelly, and they both met police at the house.
Allen told Michael and Maureen they had found Liana's abandoned SUV.
White put his hands on top of his head. Maureen knelt on the front lawn and buried her head in her hands.
They were both distraught, testfied Allen. Tuttle said both Kelly and White “appeared genuinely concerned.”
The officers checked with Liana's bank and determined no one had used her credit cards.
They searched the home for a note. White told them none of her clothes or their luggage was missing.
Const. Eric Wilde showed up an hour later and assisted White in filling out a four-page missing persons questionnaire.
White told him he last saw his wife about 6:15 a.m., dressed in green scrubs and on her way to her job as a unit clerk in the neonatal unit at Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Arrangement had been made for Michael to call her later about day care and preparations for supper.
White said he was still in bed at the time his wife left and told police Liana was a little tired but upbeat and acting normal.
He told Wilde he took their three-year-old daughter, Ashley, to day care about 7:15 a.m. then went to work at Yellowhead Truck Repair.
Wilde told court White was crying and upset as he sat in his kitchen filling out the form.
“Mr. White was concerned, distraught. He was co-operative,” said Wilde. “He was crying. He was going to the phone trying to contact other people.”
“He was expressing he had no idea, that he didn’t feel this was real,” continued Wilde. “He broke down many times during the questionnaire.”
On the form, White described his wife as a "fighter."
"She would not stop her vehicle or get out to help a person or pick anyone up," White wrote. "Her vehicle is like Fort Knox... We go for ice cream and it's locked.
"She is healthy, happy, no mental health issues."
Wilde said White then asked several questions about how a search for his wife would be conducted.
White explained he used to be in the military and had special search training. He asked the officers if they would use a grid or spiral technique.
White said he promised to stay out of the way of police.
Wilde remarked White was a good host and offered to make him sandwiches and coffee for supper.
The trial continued November 14th, 2006
Note:
On October 19th, 2006 Michael White's legal counsel advised the media that statements which appeared in earlier published reports, that a search party led by White found Liana White's body, were not accurate and that Michael White states that he did not lead the search team that found Liana's body.