The teenage star witness in a 3-month, $1 million Toronto murder trial has created a mistrial with her Internet musings on vampirism.
The trial centered on the death of a 12-year-old boy who was killed by 71 stab, cut and hacking wounds in November 2003. His brother, now 18, and two friends, now 16 and 17, have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
But the prosecution's star witness -- a 15-year-old girl -- and an audiotape she made of a telephone call from the suspects became worthless when a newspaper discovered she had alter-egos on Internet vampire sites.
In the taped telephone call, the suspects talk about their murder plans and vampirism. Under oath, the girl said she didn't believe them and had no interest in such things.
But the National Post scanned her Web profiles and found messages she posted with messages such as "I put the laughter in slaughter."
The trial was in its second day of deliberation Tuesday when the news broke and a mistrial declared.
The judge and lawyers will meet Friday to discuss plans for a retrial.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
