Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
Nova Scotia·Feature

See the evidence presented in the William Sandeson murder trial so far

A large amount of evidence has been introduced at the first-degree murder trial of William Sandeson, who is accused of killing fellow Dalhousie University student Taylor Samson.

Sandeson on trial in Halifax for 1st-degree murder in death of Dalhousie student Taylor Samson

CBC News ·

A large amount of evidence has been introduced at the first-degree murder trial of William Sandeson, who is accused of killing fellow Dalhousie University student Taylor Samson.

The prosecution alleges Samson was killed during a drug deal at Sandeson's south-end Halifax apartment. Samson's body has not been found.

Pictured below are some of the exhibits from the ongoing trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court, which began last month.

The first are photos taken by police following Sandeson's arrest on Aug. 19, 2015.

Police photo of Sandeson. (Court exhibit)
Police photo of Sandeson's back. (Court exhibit)
Police photo of an abrasion on Sandeson's shoulder. (Court exhibit)

Evidence so far in the trial points to Samson being killed in Sandeson's apartment on Henry Street in Halifax.

This is a diagram of Sandeson's Halifax apartment. The room on the left was his bedroom. (Court exhibit)

Police found a duffel bag full of blood-stained cash in Sandeson's bedroom when they searched his apartment.

One of the blood-stained $20 bills found in Sandeson's apartment. (Court exhibit)
(Court exhibit)

The Crown has said Samson went to Sandeson's apartment to sell him 20 pounds of marijuana.

A man is seen walking down a hallway with a black duffel bag.
An image from security video at Sandeson's apartment showing Taylor Samson arriving. (Nova Scotia Courts)

Following Samson's disappearance and Sandeson's arrest for murder, the marijuana was turned over to police by a lawyer. Court has heard Sandeson had left it at his younger brother's apartment.

This marijuana was turned over to police. (Blair Rhodes/CBC)

Police also found a 9-mm Smith & Wesson handgun, along with ammunition, in a safe in Sandeson's bedroom.

Police told court that they found several items inside Sandeson's safe, including a 9-mm Smith and Wesson handgun and a box of ammunition with two shells missing. (CBC)
Police say the gun was found with one bullet in the chamber. (Court exhibit)

An RCMP expert analyzed photos of the gun and has testified that minute droplets of blood on the weapon indicate it had been used to shoot someone at a very close range.

An RCMP expert said the droplets on the gun were blood. (Court exhbit)
(Court exhibit)

Police also searched Sandeson's family farm in the Truro area. There they found an abandoned ice-cream truck with a number of pieces of evidence inside.

A police photo of the ice-cream truck. (Blair Rhodes/CBC)
Inside the truck was a sports bag. There were also garbage bags containing a shower curtain, blue tarp and towels. (Court exhibit)
Inside one of the garbage bags was a shower curtain. A DNA expert has testified that victim Taylor Samson's blood was on it. (Court exhibit)
​
A tarp inside on the garbage bags also tested positive for Samson's blood. (Court exhibit)
​
This duffel bag was found inside the sports bag. It had Samson's blood on it and a police officer also testified it had a rotten smell. (Blair Rhodes/CBC)
The trial has heard the towels inside one of the garbage bags were wet. (Court exhibit)

Police seized a backpack Sandeson was wearing when they arrested him. Inside was a new shower curtain.

This backpack was taken from Sandeson during his arrest. (Court exhibit)
Police said they found this new shower curtain inside the backpack. (Court exhibit)

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|