Coroner testifies during 3-man murder trial in Regina

The trial for three men charged in the murder of Reno Lee began at the Court of Queen's Bench in Regina on Monday morning with a total of 13 jurors.

Daniel Theodore, Bronson Gordon and Andrew Bellegarde have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in Lee's 2015 death.

The three men have also pleaded not guilty to charges of committing an indignity to a human body. It's alleged they dismembered and beheaded Lee's body.

Lee, 34, was Regina's third homicide victim that year. His body was found near Balcarres, but it was determined he died in Regina.

The Crown's opening address indicated important details about the locations where jurors might hear that Lee's body was transported throughout April 16 and April 17, 2015.

Those locations include a shallow grave where the 34-year-old's remains were buried on Bellegarde's home reserve of Starblanket First Nation, located 100 kilometres northeast of Regina.

Presentation of evidence

Const. Tristan Manz was called to testify. He completed a welfare check at a home at 1120 Garnet St. on April 23, when it was reported that someone might be dead in the home.

He did not discover a body, but said the house was a mess except for the bathroom and basement, which were clean.

Manz said he found surgical gloves and a cleaning agent.

"It appeared someone had mopped the floor and left a chalky residue," Manz explained.

Coroner Maureen Stinnen also spoke about her work on the case. She was called to assist at the scene of a crime in a rural area near Balcarres at 5:15 p.m. on April 30.

When she arrived at 7:30 p.m., she said she noticed the handle of a hockey bag.

Inside, she found a torso, with no head, arms or legs from the knees down. In a plastic bag, she found a left arm and in four other bags the head.

Presentation of evidence continued throughout the afternoon.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.