Forensics take forefront at Tony Humby trial, as investigators describe gathering evidence
CBC
WARNING: This article contains details of alleged sexual abuse.
The focus on the witness stand at the Tony Humby trial Tuesday shifted from the men who say Humby sexually abused them as youths, to the police investigators who did forensic work to gather evidence after his arrest.
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Sgt. Sherry Legge was part of a four-person forensic team that searched Humby’s trailer on Hussey Drive after his arrest in the spring of 2023.
Legge described it as a “labour intensive” file, as the team spent a week cataloguing and gathering potential evidence there — everything from stuffed toys to flannel sheets to curtains.
The RNC ultimately sent four separate batches of materials to the RCMP crime lab on the mainland for testing.
They were compared against samples initially taken by consent from a half dozen complainants in the current case, and four other men who were not listed as complainants.
An RCMP DNA specialist is scheduled to testify on Wednesday about the results of that testing.
Defence lawyer Mark Gruchy noted that Humby’s trailer wasn’t secured for two months between his arrest and that RNC search — and there were reports of two break-ins during that period.
Legge said she was made aware of that “time lapse” and acknowledged that investigators did not do any swabs around the window used to break into the home, describing that area as “contaminated.”
She noted that the scene was secured during the RNC search of the property.
Gruchy asked: “Why do you secure a scene when you’re processing evidence?”
Legge replied: “Just so nobody can enter and leave. Nobody can alter the scene.”
Gruchy suggested that evidence could be introduced into an unsecured crime scene, in theory.
“In theory,” Legge said.
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