Overby asked ex-girlfriend not to mention Plenty Of Fish account to police, murder trial hears

Overby's ex-girlfriend testifies at trial Josh Crabb reports on what Brett Overby's ex-girlfriend told the jury during his second degree murder trial in the death of Christine Wood.

Shirley Houle told a jury Wednesday she loved and trusted Brett Overby during their ten-year relationship in which they lived together for a time at a home on Burrows Avenue.

The Crown told the jury it will call evidence they expect will prove 21-year-old Christine Wood died in that same home in the early morning hours of Aug. 20, 2016.

Overby, 32, has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder in Wood’s death. A jury is hearing evidence in his second degree murder trial.

Houle testified she dated Overby from 2007 to March 2016.

The jury heard Houle moved out of the Burrows Avenue home on March 1, 2016 because her relationship with Overby had ended, but that they stayed friends after the breakup.

She told court, police contacted her in February 2017 to make a video statement.

After officers contacted her, the jury heard Houle communicated with Overby, who she named ‘Joker’ in her cellphone contacts, via text message.

In the text message exchange from Feb. 1, 2017 which has been shown to jurors, Overby messaged Houle: “u don’t know about POF either k.”

Houle responded: ”ummmmm. I might have already said that about POF.”

In its opening statement the Crown told jurors it believes Wood and Overby arranged a meeting through POF, also known as Plenty Of Fish, which is an online dating website.

Jurors also heard evidence from the Winnipeg Police Service detective Thomas Guenther.

Guenther testified Overby’s cellphone had been used to contact Siu Wong the morning the Crown believes Wood died.

Wong testified Wednesday morning that he got to know Christine Wood through parties and that Wood contacted him via Facebook in the early morning hours of Aug.20, 2016 looking to buy cocaine.

Guenther testified Overby’s cellphone was also used in the early morning hours of Aug. 20, 2016 to contact Wong through a text message and phone call.

Jurors heard Wood had contacted Wong several times previously using her own phone.

Guenther testified Overby’s phone had never been used to contact Wong in the phone records obtained by investigators.

Houle was shown a photograph by the Crown and testified it was Overby sitting with another woman on a couch in the home where they used to live together.

The jury previously heard Melinda Wood identify the other woman in the photograph as her daughter, Christina Wood.

The jury has not heard details about where the photo came from or how it was obtained.

The trial continues Thursday.