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Baylee Wylie's last hours detailed during police interview with Devin Morningstar

Baylee Wylie's last hours detailed during police interview with Devin Morningstar

In a videotaped interview, RCMP asked Devin Morningstar to draw the shape of a man and indicate where 18-year-old Baylee Wylie was stabbed.

Morningstar stabbed the piece of paper over and over again, violently.

Playing the videotape of the police interview took all morning and almost all afternoon Thursday at the murder trial of Marissa Shephard, 22, in Moncton.

Wylie's body was found in a burned-out townhouse at 96 Sumac St. on Dec. 17, 2015.

Shephard is charged with first-degree murder and with arson with disregard for human life.

Refused to testify

As testimony resumed before the jury Thursday after a long voir dire, Sgt. James MacPherson was called to testify about his interview with Morningstar. It was recorded at the Codiac detachment on Dec. 20, 2015, the same day Morningstar was arrested for murder.

Earlier in this trial, the 20-year-old Morningstar was called three times to testify. Each time, he refused to take an oath, make a solemn affirmation, or even answer questions.

Justice Zoel Dionne warned that refusal could lead to jail time, but it seemed to have no effect on Morningstar, who just stood before the judge in handcuffs and shackles and refused again.

But in the videotape, Morningstar detailed the last hours of Baylee Wylie's life in graphic detail.

Morningstar said he was at 96 Sumac, where the killing occurred, with Wylie, Shephard and Tyler Noel.

Morningstar described the complicated relationships among the four. He said he had only known Shephard for about five days, but he was in love with her and wanted to be a father to her young child.

Shephard was Wylie's girlfriend, Morningstar said, but he was having sex with her. He also alluded to a sexual encounter between Noel and Wylie.

Morningstar said the source of Noel's rage against Wylie was that both men wanted Shephard, "but I had her."

Although the chronology of events that night wasn't clear from the interview, Morningstar said, "it was one long nightmare."

At one point, Wylie's face was wrapped in Saran Wrap and a hole was poked in the plastic so he could breathe.

Things calmed down for a while, when all four smoked a gram of crack, which "can make you paranoid," Morningstar said.

Then Baylee Wylie was stabbed — between 100 and 200 times, Morningstar's estimated.

Ordered to prove himself, Morningstar stabbed Wylie three times, as Noel "walked me through it."

Early in the interview, Morningstar was asked if Shephard stabbed Wylie. He said yes, and then "I don't know."

But later on in the tape, Morningstar said Noel did most of the stabbing.

"You did three, what about Marissa?" MacPherson asked.

"More than me — maybe 25, like in the chest," Morningstar answered.

After the attacks in the basement, Wylie found his way up the stairs and into the living room.

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"That kid is a trouper," Morningstar said as he continued to describe what happened.

Lying on the couch, Wylie said: "I love you Missy. I can't believe you did this."

At one point on the videotape, MacPherson told Morningstar that everyone would see the interview, even in court.

"You realize I'm dead," Morningstar said. "Yeah, if I ever get out of prison, I'm dead."

Throughout the interview, Morningstar mentioned talking to a lawyer, but he continued to talk to MacPherson.

"You're all by yourself here," MacPherson said.

It was the first day jurors had been in court since early April, when the voir dire began. The trial within a trial, held without the jury, ended Wednesday.

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