Lab tests found no evidence of drugs or alcohol in the body of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a Burnaby park more than six years ago, according to a forensic toxicology expert.
Micheal Rosland, a forensic toxicologist at the RCMP lab in Surrey, testified at the trial of Ibrahim Ali this week.
Ali is on trial for first-degree murder in the death of the girl, whose body was found in Burnaby’s Central Park shortly after 1 a.m. on July 19, 2017, less than two hours after her family reported her missing.
The victim’s identity is protected by a publication ban.
Rosland told the jury the RCMP lab had been sent vials of the girl’s blood and vitreous (eye) fluid for testing in July 2017.
Rosland did not write the toxicology report in the case. The toxicologist who did, Ronald Pon, is retired, but Rosland said he reviewed Pon's working file and report and agreed with his findings.
"As a result of reviewing the working file, were you able to form an opinion of whether alcohol or drugs were detected in any of the exhibits?" Crown prosecutor Isobel Keeley asked Rosland during his testimony.
"Yes, I reviewed the results that were present in the file and I did not note any alcohol or drugs present in the exhibits that were tested," he said.
Rosland noted the lab only tests for "forensically relevant" substances, meaning substances that affect behaviour and motor function.
Each analysis in the case was done in duplicate, as per the lab's standard practice, he said.
Earlier in the trial, both the young teen's mother and one of the teen's friends testified they had never seen her consume alcohol or drugs.
The Crown's theory is that Ali and the girl were strangers to one another and that he attacked her on a trail in Central Park, dragged her into the forest and strangled her to death while sexually assaulting her.
The defence has not outlined its theory but has suggested the killer and whoever had sex with the young teen — "either forced sex or sex" — are not the same people.
Rosland is the Crown’s final witnesses. His testimony is scheduled to continue Thursday. He has not yet been questioned by defence.
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