Methamphetamine detected in toxicology report of man on trial for murder

A forensic scientist was asked to share her findings during a triple stabbing trial in Kitchener. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte reports.

Warning: Some of the details in this story may be disturbing to some readers.

As the second week of Dylon Moreira’s murder trial comes to a close, so does the Crown’s case.

Dylon Moreira is accused of stabbing his mother, his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s daughter at a Kitchener home on Nov. 15, 2022. The girl’s mother died from her stab wounds.

CTV News is not naming the two adult victims as it might inadvertently reveal the child’s identity, which is protected by a publication ban.

Moreira is charged with second-degree murder for his girlfriend’s death, as well as two counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Toxicology report analyzed

The Crown’s final witness was called to the stand on Friday.

Karryn Wall appeared virtually from an undisclosed location. Wall is the forensic scientist who conducted a toxicology report based on Moreira’s blood sample taken at the hospital following the triple stabbing.

Wall testified that alcohol was not detected in Moreira’s blood, but she did detect methamphetamine, amphetamine, THC, lorazepam and haloperidol, which is an anti-psychotic drug.

Haloperidol was of specific note because Moreira’s mother previously testified that her son stopped taking his anti-psychotic medication before the stabbings because he did not like the way they made him feel.

However, it was never addressed how long a drug like that may remain in someone’s system.

Wall told the court that drugs administered by emergency personnel may also be present in the results.

“It provides a snapshot of what was in the blood at the time it was collected from him,” Wall testified.

The Crown based much of their questioning around the methamphetamine detected in Moreira’s blood.

“There is no medical use for methamphetamine in Canada so the only reason they’d be using it is for recreational purposes,” Wall told the court.

When Wall was asked about when the methamphetamine may have been used or how it was used, she could not comment.

She also could not comment on the decision-making effects of methamphetamine and whether it could block Moreira’s ability to understand potential consequences.

During cross-examination, Wall made similar statements when it came to how methamphetamine can affect memory and any other effects because there are so many variables like tolerance, dosage and the size of a person.

The trial continues on Monday, as the defence begins its arguments.