A blood stain pattern expert testified Thursday that the spatter found on Peter Khill's truck indicates Jon Styres was within 4-5 feet of the truck when he was struck with "great impact" by the shotgun blasts that killed him.
Retired Niagara Police Detective Colin Hoare examined the truck on Feb. 6, just two days after Styres, a member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, was shot and killed.
Hoare also said the spatter pattern indicates 'the blood source" was in the open doorway of the vehicle and was fully or partially turned towards the inside of the vehicle when one of the shots struck him.
Hoare said he located 15 "miniscule" blood stains on the back passenger door and another 74 splattered across the interior passenger seat and floor.
"The more force you apply to the blood source the smaller the blood droplets," he explained. "These are very small stains."
The pattern of the blood indicates it was caused by "back spatter," he added, meaning it flew out of an entrance wound.
Hoare's evidence suggests Styres was near the truck, within a few feet, when he was shot.
Hoare told the jury that in his experience, blood stains caused by back spatter tends to travel only four to five feet, under ideal circumstances.
Court was told Styres was wearing five layers of clothing on the night he was shot — something Hoare said could limit how far the blood would fly.
He also said the pattern suggests that where police found Styres body was not where the source of the blood would have been.
The jury was also shown a picture of Khill taken on the night of the shooting, wearing a black T-shirt and green, blue and plaid boxer shorts.
Close up pictures of his hands taken by Hamilton police show slight smears of blood on the back of his right hand.
The trial continues Thursday afternoon.