The proceedings in the case against Nathanial Veltman, a 22-year-old male, continued to unfold in a solemn Windsor courtroom. Veltman is being tried for the horrifying incident that occurred on June 6, 2021, resulting in the demise of four unsuspecting individuals and leaving a fifth severely injured.
Veltman, in a shared statement of facts, confessed to driving the Dodge Ram pickup truck that crashed into the Afzaal family as they were awaiting their turn to cross a street at the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road. The tragic event led to the deaths of Talat Afzaal, Salman and his wife Madiha, and their little daughter, Yumnah. Additionally, the nine-year-old son sustained serious injuries.
While he holds steadfast to his plea of not guilty against four charges of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder, both believed to be motivated by terrorism, Veltman’s story continues to be scrutinized in court.
The court heard testimonies from two forensic identification officers belonging to the London Police Service. Specialist Richard Veerman, the Detective Constable, led the process of photographing the interior of Veltman’s pickup vehicle as well as his city center apartment. He guided the jury meticulously through the imagery from Veltman’s residence, noting the stark contrast between the orderly bathroom and closet, and the disarray in the main living area.
Certain noticeable elements such as opened drawers, exposed items, a visible laptop, two USB drives, a router, and a charging phone starkly stood out in the photos. Moreover, fabric pieces wedged into the truck’s hood were specifically shown to the jury after Veerman had removed a plastic evidence sheet from the vehicle.
Another officer, Detective Constable Chris Thomas, pointed out his photographic contributions to the case, shot at the accident site as well as the damaged pickup truck’s location – a mall parking lot. Thomas was primarily in charge of documenting the placement of evidence cones set by traffic management officers.
Insights from federal prosecutor Sarah Shaikh further painted a picture of the horrific incident for the jury. Documents were presented showing matches between DNA recovered from the pickup truck and some members of the Afzaal family. Clothing fibers embedded in the pickup truck’s hood were concluded to match what Madiha and Talat Afzaal had been wearing.
A second jointly agreed upon statement allowed a gruesome peek into the items retrieved from the inside of Veltman’s truck: a six-inch serrated knife, a two-inch serrated knife with a curve, a machete sheathed in 12-inch-long casing, his driver’s license, and a card issued by a financial institution.
The courtroom proceeds its probe into the case on Tuesday, in the Superior Court of Windsor.
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