Handwritten signs found at victim's cottage entered into evidence at murder trial

A series of handwritten signs congratulating a homicide victim on her retirement were discovered by police at the cottage where she was killed, the accused killer's trial heard, and photos of those signs taken the day before the killingswere found on a digital camera inside.

Basil Borutski is facing three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of66-year-old CarolCulleton, 36-year-old AnastasiaKuzykand 48-year-old NathalieWarmerdam. Their bodies were found at three separate crime scenes onthe morning of Sept. 22, 2015.

At Borutski's trial on Thursday, OPP Const. Larry Hall, a forensic identification officer from Belleville, and OPP Sgt. Jane Ramsay, another identification officer,testified they took photos and videos of Carol Culleton's cottage property on Kamaniskeg Lake near Combermere, Ont., where her body was found.

The officerstold court they discovered more than a dozenhandwritten signs in black ink scatteredthroughout the property, including a series on scraps of wood near a fire pit.

"Yes it is a safe place for a fire Ihave had many here," one sign reads.

"Your fire is ready.Just light. I tried to think of everything to make your first day's [sic] of retirement as enjoyableas possible," reads another. "Happy happy happy," reads another.

Another sign found on a deck reads, "You wouldn't let me build you a railing so I thought a few extra retirement mug lights would help you see the edge before you fall."

The signs were seized by police as evidence, court heard.

Sign says thanks'for leavin Carol'

On Friday, OPP Det. Const. Jeff Dano testified that while he was analyzing the crime scene, he found a digital camera on a table inside Culleton's cottage.

He looked through the photos and saw about 20 pictures of some of the handwritten signs on Culleton's property.

They were taken Sept. 21, 2015, the day before Culleton and the other two victims were killed, Dano told court.

One sign reads, "Thank's [sic] for leavin Carol - I was wondering how I was going to get rid of you so I could do this. HAPPY positive retirement - Sorry I'm such an asshole!" and at the bottom it has a picture of a smiley face with a tongue sticking out.

Another reads, "RETIRED - The GOOD thing's [sic] - I don't have to get up. I don't have to agree with Bullshit! I don't have to worry about 1. is the driveway plowed? 2. will I be there on time? 3. Am I doing my part? 4. Are they satisfied with me? Add your own Jiggy! It's good therapy!"

'So smile dammit, This shit is expensive!!'

All but two of thephotos Danofound on the digital cameramatched up with the signs police found on the property and seized after the killing.

The two photos depicted a small woodenpicture frame posted onto the front door. The sign, which appears to have been made with a computer, bears a pixilated image of a green bird.

"Hello,I am the friggin' happiness fairy. I've sprinkled happy dust on you. So smile dammit, This shit is expensive!!"

Dano testified that after an extensive search of the property, they couldn't find thesign.

Earlier Friday, court heard testimony from Jeff Shelp, a friend of Culleton's, that a man named Basil was doing work around Culleton's cottage and that Shelp was concerned for Culleton's safety because of a number of strange incidents involving Basil.

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