Pickup truck purchased weeks before fatal attack on London Muslim family

The Windsor jury heard new details on Thursday about items seized from the apartment of accused, Nathaniel Veltman.

The 22 year old has pleaded not guilty to four counts of terrorism-motivated first-degree murder and one count of terrorism-motivated attempted murder.

Veltman has already admitted he was driving a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck on June 6, 2021, when he drove into the Afzaal family.

They were waiting to cross Hyde Park Road at South Carriage Road, in the city’s west end.

Four members of their family – grandmother Talat, her son Salman, his wife Madiha and their daughter Yumnah – all died. Their (then) nine-year-old son survived serious injuries.

During the trial Thursday, the jury learned more details about what was seized from Veltman’s apartment on June 12, 2021.

Sgt. Jason Eddy and Detective Const. Michael Comeau were both called to Windsor to testify Thursday. Both are with the Digital Forensic Unit of London Police Service.

Sgt. Eddy showed the jury the documents and receipts from the sale of a 2016 Dodge Ram pickup truck.

They show the total price was more than $24,000 for the truck. Veltman paid $2,000 in advance for the truck on May 11, 2021 and took receipt of the truck on May 19.

According to the documents, Veltman also paid for a year-long warranty on the truck.

The jury also learned about the police seizure of a cellphone, laptop, two USB thumb drives and an external hard-drive from Veltmans’ downtown bachelor apartment.

”It was not the messiest I’ve seen,” Sgt. Eddy testified about Veltmans’ apartment Thursday. “It was sparsely furnished.”

Sgt. Eddy told the jury he seized the laptop, USBs and a hard drive. Det. Const. Comeau seized the cellphone.

Both spent much of their testimony explaining how they accessed the data on digital devices without altering or losing the data contained in them.

They told the jury they used high-tech software programs that allowed them to make a “digital forensic copy” of the electronics for their investigations.

Late Thursday, the jury learned the data on Veltmans’ electronic devices was copied and sent to an “independent forensic examiner” with the Windsor Police Service in March 2023.

Neither investigator was asked what was found on Veltmans’ electronic devices.

The jury was released early on Thursday and Justice Renee Pomerance also released them for the long weekend.

She did not indicate why but the trial will not continue Friday, Sept. 29 and the court is recognizing National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday, Oct. 1.

The trial will resume on Tuesday, Oct. 2 at 10 a.m.