‘Nobody’s going to believe her’: defence lawyer on accused in dead infants case

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This article was published 24/10/2014 (4086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Initial visual inspection led investigators to believe there were four sets of human remains at a storage container.

But forensic examination showed there were actually two more children’s remains.

The Free Press has uncovered new details about how the remains were found by a U-Haul employee, who immediately notified police. The storage facility is on McPhillips Street at Elgin Avenue.

A justice source said there were several individual containers, each holding the remains of at least one child, placed inside the locker that had been rented out in Andrea Giesbrecht’s name.

They had been placed in a mystery liquid, which authorities are working to identity to determine whether it was meant to aid in preservation or speed up decomposition.

Accused not likely infants’ mother: lawyer

In an application for a search warrant on Monday police wrote Giesbrecht “may have committed murder against four infants on March 7, 2014,” a source said Thursday.

The specific date is apparently when Giesbrecht first rented the storage unit. She then fell behind on making payments, prompting Monday’s search. Newspaper ads previously placed in the Free Press show Giesbrecht has a history of lapsing on payments for other rental units.

As well, the reference to four infants was based on the initial belief — after a visual inspection — that there were four sets of human remains, rather than six.

Meantime, Giesbrecht is likely not the infants’ mother, her lawyer claims.

But exactly who the infants belonged to — and how and why they allegedly came into Giesbrecht’s possession — is a mystery.

“Come on, how would she explain how she was pregnant six times and nobody noticed it?” Greg Brodsky told the Free Press on Thursday, hours after his client made her first court appearance. “And why would she then keep the remains?”

Brodsky admitted his client may be able to answer some of the key questions police and the public have. He wouldn’t say how talkative she’d been with authorities, but suggested it would all be for naught even if she opened her mouth.

“Nobody’s going to believe her, no matter what,” said Brodsky.

‘I’ve never had a case like this before’

Giesbrecht, 40, is charged with six counts of concealing a child’s body and is being held in custody without bail. A forensic examination is underway to identify the remains and determine the cause of death.

“I’m very concerned whether these were stillborn, premature or full-born babies,” said Brodsky.

The Free Press asked Brodsky whether his client could have been given payment by someone else to hide or dispose of the remains.This was based on the fact court records show Giesbrecht is a gambling addict who is deeply in debt.

Brodsky declined to answer.

Police haven’t ruled out other arrests as their investigation continues.

Giesbrecht has not been charged with homicide, but police have said there could be upgraded charges depending on what the medical evidence shows. It’s noteworthy that Brodsky has represented more accused killers than any lawyer in Canada.

“I’ve done 715 murder cases. I’ve never had a case like this before,” Brodsky said. “I don’t know what’s going on here.”

One autopsy believed to have been completed

Giesbrecht said nothing during her brief court appearance Thursday. The case was adjourned until Nov. 12 for a likely bail application.

Brodsky raised concerns over the pending autopsies and requested the medical procedures be videotaped so he can get his own “anatomical” pathologist to review the findings.

He said the medical procedures will provide critical evidence and wants the option to have his own hand-picked expert to oversee matters, rather than simply the Crown controlling the process.

“I think we should be extra-specially careful,” Brodsky said. “I’d be more satisfied with the results if I had the extra eyes and the expertise behind those eyes to look at them.”

Provincial court Judge Fred Sandhu told Brodsky in court Thursday he’s welcome to file a motion to have his expert included.

So far, nothing has been filed. However, at least one autopsy is believed to have already been completed, which prompted Brodsky to express concerns about the job being rushed.

“We’re talking about old fetuses or newborns. The only sense of urgency is that my client is in custody,” said Brodsky.

Giesbrecht was arrested at her home in the Maples hours after the discovery was made Monday.

A court-ordered pre-sentence report obtained by the Free Press paints her as an otherwise law-abiding soccer mom who has previously worked at St. Amant Centre and DASCH, while also volunteering her time at Siloam Mission.

She is the mother of two sons, aged 12 and 16, and has been married 17 years. She is a business administration graduate from Red River College.

Giesbrecht also has a gambling addiction that has put her family in deep debt, court heard during a sentencing last month in which she was given two years’ probation after admitting to defrauding an elderly neighbour of more than $7,000 to feed her habit.

 

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