[su_pullquote align=”right”]Meng says he heard heavy breathing and saw the assailant get up naked from the waist down, before closing the laptop.[/su_pullquote]
[su_heading size=”21″]Forensic pathologist Dr. Christopher Milroy disagrees with the initial pathologist estimation of Qian Liu’s death, and says Liu died from neck compression.[/su_heading]
Forensic pathologist Dr. Christopher Milroy disagrees with the initial pathologist estimation of Qian Liu’s death, and says Liu died from neck compression.
Milroy did a peer review of the Liu autopsy notes and told the court his estimation of Liu’s death is simply his opinion. Although she may have died of mechanical asphyxia, he explained because of hemorrhaging on the neck and back, plus petechiae – she died of neck compression.
“It’s not a matter of who is right but rather who is right to what degree,” says Milroy.
Today’s trial followed the chilling scene depicted by Liu’s former boyfriend, Xian Meng, who with a translator on March 29, recounted what he saw on April 11, 2011.
Meng recounted that he was on Skype with Liu when she answered her bedroom door. Meng told the court that Liu seemed to know the man at the door.
“Their conversation appeared normal, they seemed to know each other and she was laughing with him,” says the translator, recounting Meng’s testimony.
According to Meng the man went for a hug and Liu resisted. Meng then yelled at the screen but through Liu’s headphones, the assailant never heard Meng’s pleas.
When asked to further explain what happened, Meng was unclear if both parties fell on the floor together or separately. This was challenged by the defense.
“All we are trying to do show that your memory was a better a year ago then it is now,” says Robert Nuvell, Dickson’s defense lawyer.
Meng was able to record the sounds coming from Liu’s room, which was played for the court. The audio recording captured a few muffled bangs, moving keys, the ex-boyfriend swearing in the background, crying, yelling, and some other inaudible sounds.
This evidence was given to police as well.
Meng also said he saw the assailant get up and lock the door, switch off the lights, and double-check if the the door was locked again before disappearing into the laptop’s blind spot.
Meng says he heard heavy breathing and saw the assailant get up naked from the waist down, before closing the laptop.
Meng then used Liu’s York community student account to notify her classmates of what had occurred.
Six days have progressed into the trial of Brian Dickson and his alleged role in the death of York Student Qian Liu. On April 11, 2011 Liu was killed in her home in the York University Village. Her ex-boyfriend witnessed the incident over a web camera.
The trial resumes tomorrow at 10:30 a.m., with one of Liu’s roommates testifying followed by a cardiac specialist.
Hamid Adem
News Editor
