Disturbing details of Cassandra Kaake's murder revealed in Windsor, Ont. court
Gruesome details of the murder of Cassandra Kaake — the pregnant Windsor, Ont. woman whose death reopened the debate on the rights of an unborn child — were revealed during her killer's sentencing hearing Monday.
Matthew Brush, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and arson back in November, broke into Kaake's home on Benjamin Avenue in the city's east end just two weeks before Christmas in 2014.
Information revealed in court Monday show Brush intended to steal Kaake's underwear and masturbate. He admitted to having a lengthy fetish with women's underwear.
Kaake was out planning a baby shower and interrupted Brush when she returned home. A struggle ensued when Brush strangled Kaake until she was unconscious, according to evidence agreed to in court.
Gruesome details of killing revealed
Brush then slit her throat and left the home, only to return a short while later. That's when he cut off Kaake's fingertips in order to eliminate any DNA evidence.
Brush then doused Kaake in gasoline and set the house on fire. Brush told police he drove around Windsor dumping evidence in various locations, including the Detroit River.
During their investigation, police found Brush's DNA on a fingertip left behind at the home.
After admitting to police he killed Kaake, Brush showed police where he dropped evidence. No items were recovered from that day.
Kaake was seven months pregnant when she was killed. A postmortem examination found she died of blood loss caused by severe trauma.
Brush's sentencing is expected to take several days.
Unborn child rights reopened
Jeff Durham, who was the father-to-be of Kaake's unborn child, launched a lengthy public campaign to include additional punishments for anyone who harms an unborn baby during attacks on pregnant mothers.
He and Kaake were separated when she was killed, but Durham says they were still good friends. They planned to name their baby Molly.
His campaign, which was quickly dubbed Molly Matters, garnered more than 6,000 signatures of an online petition, calling for the Canadian laws to be changed.
Saskatchewan Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall introduced a private member's bill, known as Cassie and Molly's Law, in February 2016, but that bill was voted down in October.
