Brad Southwind admitted to killing his best friend when questioned by an Ontario Provincial Police investigator the morning after his arrest on August 20, 2018.
His confession to stabbing Joseph Topping was videotaped and played Thursday during his trial for first-degree murder.
The interview was conducted by Det. Sergeant Kayleigh O’Neill, who is based in Orillia, is in the Behavioral Science Analysis Section and a member of the OPP’s Forensic Interview Team.
Southwind told the officer he stabbed Topping because “I interpreted that Joseph wanted to die.”
When asked what made him think Joseph wanted him to take his own life, he said Topping said he was sick and didn’t want to go to the hospital.
“He was giving up on life,” Southwind told the officer. “He had stopped his medication. It’s really hard to explain. You will not understand.”
Southwind said he did not know how many times he stabbed Topping.
The 31-year-old victim’s body was found on February 14, 2018, in a wooded marshy area behind his Elliot Lake apartment building.
Southwind, 27, has pleaded not guilty to murder.
At the beginning of the interview, O’Neill told the accused that it was important for him to understand why this happened.
“You’re a young man and you’re upset about what happened to Joseph.”
There has to be a reason and “this is my chance to explain,” the 21-year-old officer said.
“It’s hard for me to think that this is all Brad’s fault,” he told Southwind. “I want to know what happened so they don’t get the wrong idea about you.”
Southwind didn’t answer at first, then said they had been drinking, Topping was joking, then turned serious.
He said he stopped his medication, didn’t want to go to the hospital and “that’s when I lost it,” the defendant said.
“That doesn’t explain why he ended up in the woods,” O’Neill said, suggesting something must have happened between the two men.
“Why did Joseph have to die?” asked the officer.
“I really don’t know,” Southwind replied.
“All kinds of crazy things happen,” he said. “We used drugs. I understand that he wanted to die and I really wish he was here. I can’t take it back.’
Topping was talking about silly things like playing Russian roulette with a shotgun and was “always hinting at suicide,” Southwind said, indicating he also wasn’t taking his medication.
“It was like he had a death wish. Joseph was tired of living.’
Nearly two hours into the interview, a tearful Southwind told O’Neill, “I stabbed him.” and “I’m really sorry.”
When asked what happened to the knife, he replied “I don’t know, I dropped it”.
He describes it as “just a plain knife with a black handle”.
At the end of the two-and-a-half-hour interview, which took place at the OPP detachment in Blind River, Southwind wrote a letter apologizing to his friend’s mother, jurors heard
After the court viewed the video, prosecutor David Didiodato asked O’Neill about the defendant’s requests during the interview to speak with his attorney.
The officer said Southwind had already spoken to the lawyer before the interview.
“There is no change in his dangerousness that would facilitate that,” O’Neill said. “Nothing has changed. It was still the same fee.’
During cross-examination, defense attorney Don Oracietti pointed out to the officer that he spent a lot of time early in the interview talking to Southwind about his rights.
Southwind “asked three, maybe four times to speak to his lawyer,” Oraciet said. “What would be the harm in letting him talk to his lawyer?”
O’Neill indicated that he knew Southwind had spoken with his attorney the day before his arrest.
“He had been advised by his lawyer. I was pleased that he exercised that right.”
Would it be fair to say that Southwind refused to tell you what happened until about two hours into the interview and then he capitulated, Oracietti asked.
O’Neill agreed.
“You’ve worn him out and he’s seeing the writing on the wall,” the defense suggested.
The officer said it could be, but it was up to Southwind.
“How many times did you lie or make it up or exaggerate it?” Oracietti asked.
O’Neill said he embellished some things and came up with three theories that he offered to Southwind as possible reasons for the murder.
He agreed that Southwind was crying throughout the interview.
“My interpretation is that he felt remorse for what had happened between him and Joseph,” the officer said.
O’Neill also admitted that he works in a specialized field, is called for serious crimes and has a degree in psychology.
“You have experience and natural talent,” Oracietti suggested. “You clearly have a gift for dealing with people one-on-one.”
O’Neill agreed.
Also on Thursday, the Crown provided the court with an agreed statement of facts from Topping’s mother.
Irene Guerin indicated that she reported her son missing on January 8, 2018.
She stated that she knew Southwind, who was her son’s friend.
Guerin called it a good friendship and said she personally saw nothing to indicate that Southwind would turn against him.
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