Forensic Evidence Uncovered in Taylor Marshall Murder Case

Forensic evidence presented in court has revealed new details surrounding the murder of Taylor Marshall, who was found dead in her home in September 2023. An orange-red substance resembling makeup was discovered on a kitchen wall indentation, located near the spot where the 22-year-old was found, a forensic identification technician testified on Monday.

The technician, Katherine McCoy, stated that the substance was located behind a table where paint had chipped away. Marshall had been dropped off at her home by her father after a job interview that morning at GoodLife Fitness. Later that afternoon, she was found deceased by her boyfriend, Dawson Mattila.

Details from the Crime Scene

On the evening of September 7, 2023, McCoy arrived at the couple’s residence at 185 John St. at 19:50. She documented the scene with numerous photographs, capturing evidence from the apartment where Marshall and Mattila had lived for six to eight months. In addition to the makeup-like substance, a blood-like substance was identified on a wooden frame of an open window and an adjacent wall in a spare bedroom, where the couple kept supplies for their two cats.

Security camera footage from a nearby residence on Alexandra Street showed a man near the back of Marshall’s home. Following a grid search conducted by police on September 13, 2023, a Roots sweatshirt and a grey and red striped sweater were discovered behind 30 Canal Dr., close to the John Rowswell Hub Trail. Both garments also contained blood-like substances, according to McCoy.

Legal Proceedings and Ongoing Investigation

A post-mortem examination of Marshall was conducted on September 12-13, 2023, at Sault Area Hospital, which McCoy attended. During the examination, fingernail clippings were collected by a pathologist and sent to the Centre of Forensic Sciences for analysis.

Another forensic technician, Nicole Magnan, expressed concerns about collecting evidence outside the John Street address due to potential rain on the night of September 7. Police were also awaiting a warrant to enter the home. Footprints were detected in the soil near a rear window that was “mostly open” and had a cut screen, suggesting it could have been a point of entry.

In connection with the case, Steven Jones has pleaded not guilty to the second-degree murder of Marshall and the attempted murder of Liam Frenette. Frenette was stabbed multiple times around 13:00 on September 7, 2023, while sitting on a bench along St. Mary’s River Drive near Station Mall. He had just withdrawn cash from a bank machine and purchased a snack at Dollarama. Magnan documented Frenette’s injuries at Sault Area Hospital on September 11 and again at the police station on September 21, noting that he experienced significant pain on the first day.

The trial is set to resume Tuesday at 10:00, continuing the examination of the evidence surrounding these tragic events.