Derek Saretzky told police he didn't think anyone cared about senior he's accused of killing - Action News
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Derek Saretzky told police he didn't think anyone cared about senior he's accused of killing

WARNING: Story contains graphic content. Court adjourned abruptly Friday morning after jurors became emotional while they watched a video of Derek Saretzky re-enacting the killing and indignities he committed on the body of two-year-old Hailey Dunbar Blanchette.

WARNING: Story contains graphic details that may be disturbing to some readers

More police interviews with Derek Saretzky, who is accused of killing Terry Blanchette and his young daughter, Hailey, above, were played for jurors on Friday. (Amanda Blanchette)

Derek Saretzky told an RCMP officer he chose to kill Hanne Meketech because he didn't think she'd be missed by anyone and he needed someone to practice on before he killed a two-year-old girl and her father.

The accused murderer offered the details when he was being interrogated by RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike McCauley about six months after being arrested in the slayings of a father and daughter from Blairmore, Alta. A video of the interview was played Friday for the jury at Saretzky's triple-murder trial in Lethbridge.

"Why'd you pick her?" asked McCauley of Saretzky'schoice to kill Meketech.

"I didn't think anybody cared about her," Saretzky responded.

Saretzky, 24, who lived in Blairmore, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the 2015 deaths of Meketech, 69, whose body was discovered a few days before TerryBlanchette, 27, and his daughterHaileyDunbar-Blanchette, 2, were killed.

McCauley askedif killing Meketech was practice ahead ofBlanchette and Hailey: "Yeah, I guess so," replied Saretzky.

"I wish I hadn't have done it," said Saretzky of the killings."Can't really change it now."

At the time of the interrogation, Saretzkyhad already confessed to killingBlanchette and his daughter.

Six months earlier, Saretzkyhad taken McCauley to a rural campsite where he re-enacted strangling, dismembering and performing acts of cannibalism on Hailey after kidnapping her. As they watched that video this morning, some jurors became so emotional court was abruptly adjourned for a break.

RCMP interview specialist Staff Sgt. Mike McCauley is responsible for eliciting three murder confessions from Derek Saretzky. (Sarah Lawrynuik/CBC)

"I choked her over there," Saretzky is seen on video telling McCauley as the two stood beside a still smoking burn pit in a rural area near Blairmore.

Without emotion, Saretzky then re-enactedacts of cannibalism. Members of the jury seemed overwhelmed and quickly filed out of the courtroom for an impromptu break.

After the adjournment, the video resumed andSaretzky could be seen telling the officer he said a prayer for Hailey after he killed her.

"I don't know what the prayer was, may God rest your soul ... something along those lines."

He said he burned the child's remains, his clothes and some weapons he'd used.

Though Saretzky says he hadn't consumed any alcohol, he did say he'd taken dexedrine, a central nervous system stimulant.

'I was traumatized'

Once they left the burn site, the conversation continued between Saretzky and McCauley.

"I make some stupid decisions," said Saretzky. "I was traumatized, I didn't really know what just happened."

He tells the officer he "had feelings" for Cheyenne, Blanchette's ex and Hailey's mother. SaretzkysaidBlanchetteused to beat Cheyenne which made him angry.

Saretzkyalso said Blanchetteonce gave him a dirty look and that he'd come after him with a bat in the past.

The video ends back at the Blairmore RCMPdetachment where McCauley delivers a burger and poutine to Saretzky as a "celebration dinner."

McCauley said he wanted to keep the door open with Saretzky in case he needed more information from him.

It took about six months for McCauley to interview the suspect again because he had tried to kill himself while in custody.

Months after he was charged with the murders of Blanchette and his daughter, the Crown says Derek Saretzky, right, admitted to killing Hanne Meketech as well. (RCMP/Facebook)

Blanchette's bloodied body was found on the floor of his bathroom. Saretzky said he attacked him with crowbar and knife.

Court heard, Saretzkythen took Hailey from her crib and transported her in the back of a van to the campsite where investigators would later find her DNA and dozens of bones belonging to a small child.

Police suspected Saretzky was responsible for all three killings because of similarities in the ways Meketech and Blanchette were attacked.

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