KELOWNA — A 27-year-old man has now admitted causing the injuries that killed a teenager from Armstrong on Halloween night in 2011, jurors have heard.
Matthew Foerster agreed Tuesday to an admission of facts, which states he injured Taylor Van Diest, 18, and that those injuries caused her death, Crown Counsel Ian Currie said as the first-degree murder trial resumed in B.C. Supreme Court.
With Foerster acknowledging his actions were responsible for the death of the teenager, the only issue for the jury to decide now is whether he is guilty as charged of first-degree murder or a lesser offence such as manslaughter.
During a break after the dramatic courtroom development, Van Diest’s mother, Marie Van Diest, said she was pleased but not surprised to hear Foerster acknowledge he was responsible for Taylor’s death.
“This is good news for a lot of people,” Van Diest told reporters outside the courthouse.
In the afternoon court session, there was a second admission of facts, agreed to by Foerster that his DNA was found in samples taken from Van Diest’s fingernails.
That second admission also acknowledged that Van Diest’s DNA was found on samples taken from inside a truck Foerster owned the night the girl was killed.
Other testimony on Tuesday consisted of RCMP officers describing how they investigated the crime scene and collected evidence that included Van Diest’s jacket, a bottle of vodka, a length of rope and a chair.
Foerster attacked Van Diest, who was dressed as a zombie for Halloween, as she was walking to meet friends about 6 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2011.
Foerster has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
During the trial’s start on Monday, jurors heard the Crown intended to show a police video in which Foerster admitted to killing the girl.
During the video, the Crown alleges, Foerster admits he intended to sexually assault the girl, and feels remorse that he ended up killing her.
An autopsy revealed marks around Van Diest’s neck were consistent with being strangled. She also had several blows to her head.
The trial continues.
