Videotapes show accused killer following victim from C-Train station

CALGARY - An eerie surveillance video played in court on Monday shows accused killer Christopher Watcheston following Arcelie Laoagan out of the Franklin C-Train station.

Minutes later, not far from the station and out of camera range on the cold winter night, Watcheston raped and killed the 41-year-old mother on a pathway near the Grace Baptist Church.

Crown prosecutor Gord Wong, who played the video taken at 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2008, played four other surveillance videos leading up to the fateful encounter.

Watcheston is first seen walking up and down the platform at the 7th St. station before departing at 10:03 p.m., then departing the 10th St. station at 10:11 p.m.

He and Laoagan are both seen separately at the 8th St. station, which departed 10 minutes later, and again at Franklin.

Watcheston, 24, on trial for first-degree murder, has admitted in an agreed statement of facts filed in court that he sexually assaulted the woman as she was on her way home from work at West Canadian Graphic Images at 8th St. and 10th Ave. S.W.

Court heard she sustained blunt cranial trauma, as well as a fractured upper jaw, broken nose and numerous cuts and bruises throughout her body.

In a supplemental agreed statement of facts presented to court on Monday, Watcheston admitted he arrived at friend Devon Malcolm's residence on 43th Ave. N.W. early in the

morning and told him he "was in trouble."

Later in the day, Watcheston told Malcolm he had been in a fight on the C-Train on his way home the previous evening.

He admitted that while he was nodding off in the C-Train because he was drunk, a man and a woman made fun of him, calling him by a racial slur.

After he and the couple exited the train, Watcheston and the man became engaged in a verbal argument, then a physical fight as the woman ran for help.

A few days later, according to the court document, Watcheston and Malcolm were watching a news story on television about Laoagan's murder.

When a picture of the deceased was shown on the screen, Watcheston told Malcolm: "Oh, it must have been a girl."

When asked by Malcolm if he was sure, Watcheston responded: "Yeah."

Prosecutors Wong and Christine Rideout are expected to conclude their case later today. Hepner and co-counsel Rebecca have been given Tuesday off by Court of Queen's

Bench Justic Kristine Eidsvik to prepare for the start of their case on Wednesday.

Watcheston is expected to testify first, following by two expert witnesses - a psychiatrist and a psychologist - in an attempt to reduce the charge to less than first-degree murder.

dslade@theherald.canwest.com