Court hears police interview of Edmonton man accused of killing 7-year-old girl

A man accused of murdering a seven-year-old girl told police the next morning the killing was part of a spiritual awakening.

David Moss is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Bella Rose Desrosiers in May of 2020. He has admitted he killed the girl but pleaded not guilty, his lawyer arguing the 36-year-old should not be found criminally responsible.

The defence played a video recording Thursday of an interview with an Edmonton police detective the morning after the death. Moss was taken into custody and spent the night in a holding cell. 

"You want to tell me what went on yesterday?" Det. Aubrey Zalaski asks after the two are seated at a table in a small room, Moss refusing the food and drink offered to him.

"I had an awakening," Moss says. "I realized that everything in this reality is actually not real."

In the following hour-and-a-half long interview, Moss tells the detective that the physical world is an illusion and that people must play out their fears to ascend in the spiritual world.

He says he was following in the footsteps of Jesus and that the killing was a selfless act.

"You have to cause trauma so other people can be able to try and do the same thing."

On the morning of May 18, 2020, Bella's mother Melissa Desrosiers became concerned after Moss made some comments that made her think he might be suicidal.

According to an agreed statement of facts, she invited Moss to her house and made a point of hiding knives in her bedroom closet. 

When he arrived, Moss said he was tired and went to the third floor of the split-level house to take a shower and have a nap.

As Desrosiers was tucking her two children to bed, Moss suddenly appeared in the doorway wearing only underwear and brandishing a pair of scissors he used to attack the girl.

Moss told the detective the killing was preordained and motivated by intuition sent from the devil.

Zalaski asked if he ever second-guessed that.

"Of course I did," Moss said. "You think I wanted to do this?"

Bizarre messages

On Wednesday, Moss' sister Apryl Pfunder said she was concerned about his mental health and that he had a history of obsession with conspiracy theories.

"It seemed like he was slipping further and further out of reality," she told court.

The Crown prosecution questioned Pfunder during cross-examination on Thursday, asking why she did not take issue with spiritual claims made by Moss in text and calls or alert the authorities to intervene.

"I thought the messages were bizarre," she said but added that she was trying to appease her brother with supportive messages to keep the communication line open.

She picked up Moss' children on May 17th — one day before the killing — after he had confessed to his wife the night before that he had multiple affairs during the marriage.

Pfunder told court she thought he was in mental distress and had told him to call 211.

"I didn't think he needed to be apprehended under the mental health act because he was hysterically crying."

Moss is expected to take the stand on Friday.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.