Superior Court of Justice, Windsor. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)Superior Court of Justice, Windsor. (Photo by Mike Vlasveld)
Windsor

Details Given In Cassandra Kaake Murder Trial

Sentencing is underway in the Cassandra Kaake murder trial.

Matthew Brush of LaSalle pled guilty to second degree murder and arson back in November.

The Superior Court of Justice in Windsor is hearing facts of the case and Brush's confession on Monday. That will be followed by victim impact statements and evidence for the judge to consider in his final ruling.

Windsor Police Service Detective Dave Tennent expects the sentencing hearing to last until at least Friday.

Some of the facts presented by the Crown in court Monday morning were very gruesome and may be disturbing to some readers.

They include that Brush had entered Kaake's apartment the night of December 11, 2014, expecting her to be at work, in order to smell her clothes and masturbate.

Kaake was originally scheduled to work that night, but switched her shift in order to help plan a baby shower.

When she got home, she discovered Brush and, in his embarrassment, he beat her to the point of unconsciousness. After that, he decided to cut Kaake's throat, which killed her and her unborn daughter. Kaake was 31 years old at the time of her death.

The Crown explained that Brush then gathered up a number of items around the house, which he believed had his DNA on them, and lit them on fire using gasoline. He also poured gasoline on the victim and in various spots of the home in an attempt to burn the place down.

A woman living in an apartment above Kaake noticed smoke coming up from her vents and called 911. The Crown said she even knocked on Kaake's door, but there was no answer.

Kaake's fingertips had been cut off, but fire crews found one of them and were able to identify Brush through DNA found under her fingernail.

Weeks after a police investigation had begun, the Crown said officers got a tip from someone who was working with Brush on the day after the murder and noticed scratches on his face. The co worker also saw Brush crying to a manager, telling him/her he had known Kaake.

Brush was brought in for questioning by police in February of 2015. He originally told officers a story that he was at a friend's house on December 11, and then went to his home in LaSalle where he was scratched in the face by his pet rabbit.

He later admitted that what he had told police was a lie, and then confessed to killing Kaake.

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