Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of a crime scene and crime scene photographs involving the victim.
A difficult day for jurors in the second-degree murder trial of Felicity Altiman as they spent Oct. 3 viewing graphic crime scene photos of the December 2020 murder of 75-year-old Robert “Bob” Keskinen.
Altiman is facing charges of second-degree murder and indignity to a body.
The jury was led through the images by Greater Sudbury Police Det.-Const. Greg Smuland. Testimony yesterday also included discussion of a bloody fingerprint, identified as Altiman’s, left at the scene, and the discovery of a possible murder weapon in the apartment two years after the killing.
Through formal admissions read into the court record, the jury learned Altiman frequently visited Keskinen when she lived across the hall, sometimes stealing money and empty beer cans from him.
The crime scene photos were taken Dec. 26, 2020, the day Keskinen was discovered by his cousin, Richard Keller, who testified Oct. 2 he intended to bring a small Christmas dinner to the victim’s apartment, but was unable to reach him.
What Keller found when he opened his cousin’s door is detailed in the police photos, which showed the small bachelor apartment at 517 Kathleen St. and the location of Keskinen’s blood-covered body. He was seated on the floor with his back against a cabinet, his head tilted to one side, with his feet pointing to the door.
His shirt, also covered in blood, is lifted slightly at the waist and shows a large puncture wound in his abdomen. The post-mortem examination found Keskinen had been stabbed 103 times and had his genitals mutilated during the murder..
Heavy blood spatter marks are visible on the walls near the body, with what appear to be long streaks of blood running from the middle of the wall down to the floor.
In his Oct. 3 testimony, Det.-Const. Alex McDonald, the first officer on the scene, described the apartment as being “in complete disarray” and noted a broken chair on the floor in the middle of the room.
The apartment, which McDonald described as “dirty, messy,” also showed evidence of “some type of a struggle.”
Later in the day, Smuland also took the jury through fingerprint evidence, both the method of collection and the identification.
A bottle of dish detergent was found at the scene, and in his testimony, Smuland identified a fingerprint on the bottle that he said he later matched to Felicity Altman's right index finger.
“I found 20 (features) that matched, 36 that didn’t match,” he said. Noting it was not a “perfect impression,” Smuland said. “I was satisfied to make my conclusion that the impression that was on the bottle … was deposited by Felicity Altiman’s right index finger.”
Stephen Hinkson, Altiman’s defence attorney, asked Smuland on cross-examination if it was determined the fingerprint found on the dish soap bottle resulted from the finger coming into contact with blood on the bottle, or due to blood being on the finger when it touched the bottle.
“I can say the print was in blood,” said Smuland.
“We can’t say what got there first?” Hinkson asked.
“Correct,” replied Smuland.
Smuland also testified that items including a shower curtain and orange towel were seized from the apartment across the hall from Keskinen, where Altiman had been staying. Police also seized a black Hollister brand hoodie, which appeared to have bleach stains on the front, adding that all items were sent to the Centre of Forensic Sciences (CFS) for further analysis.
Testimony regarding a possible murder weapon was also testified to, in a limited capacity, on Thursday. Smuland said Altiman had a multi-tool with a knife blade on her when she was arrested in January 2020. However, three years after the murder another knife was found in the apartment. Smuland testified that in February 2023 a plumber working in the apartment found a black-handled steak knife stuck down the drain of the bathroom sink in Keskinen’s former apartment.
Smuland said the knife was swabbed and later sent to the CFS for testing. The results of that testing have not been entered into evidence yet.
So far, the jury has heard from first responders, the victim’s cousin, Keller, as well as James Stewart, the building’s property manager, who testified he found a pair of women’s jeans covered in Keskinen’s blood on a stairwell around the time of the murder.
During cross-examination of these witnesses, defence attorney Hinkson has questioned if doors to Keskinen’s apartment were routinely left unlocked, or if windows were left open. Keller testified they were, due to Keskinen’s smoking.
The Crown will continue their case on Monday, Oct. 7, and the trial is expected to last four weeks.
Jenny Lamothe covers court for Sudbury.com