Text exchanges made with former Helix guitarist hours before his death

Second-degree murder trial of Craig Allan continues. He’s accused in the stabbing death of Helix’s Dan Fawcett. CTV London’s Nick Paparella reports.

London Police Forensic and Technological Crime officers have testified that 52-year-old Daniel Fawcett, the one-time guitarist for the rock band Helix, was receiving text messages and emails to meet at Gibbons Park in the middle of the night on Nov. 6, 2022.

However, within a few hours of the last message, his body was discovered with a stab wound to the heart by an early morning jogger going through the park.

The last person to leave a message on Fawcett’s cellphone said, “Hey it’s me I have a problem, you need to come get me right away.”

The Crown’s opening address stated that it may have been over a drug deal, with one text from the person saying, “My stash is in the bush in here but I’m afraid of coyotes in the dark.”

In all, police said they recovered more than 1,700 exchanges between Fawcett and the person who cannot be identified.

Det.-Const. Blake Morrison said a few of the exchanges make accusations against Fawcett, saying, “Some messages are threatening in nature ... there are threats that are issued.”

Days after Fawcett died, 50-year-old Craig Allan was arrested out of town and charged with second-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty.

Later, when investigators looked into his Facebook page, they found that he may have gone by the nickname “Chili,” with an introduction phrase saying, “Cut their throats before they cut yours. Watch what you do from now on Chili is officially coming.”

The trial is expected to last about two more weeks.