Man accused of killing his wife tells 911 dispatcher she 'left in a complete rage'

Michael Sedo returned to the witness stand in a Newmarket courtroom on Thursday for cross-examination from the defence in the case against his father, John Sedo, the Aurora, Ont. man accused of killing his wife, Helen, who disappeared in July 2020.

John, 64, faces second-degree murder in the death of his wife, who he said left him after a heated argument.

Michael testified his father first told him his mother stormed out days later.

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The court heard testimony from family members and a longtime friend outlining a troubled marriage on the brink of divorce.

The couple's son told the court John was initially reluctant to report Helen missing to the police, saying he felt it would be an overreaction.

He did, however, notify the authorities his wife of 35 years had disappeared two days later.

During the 911 call, John told the dispatcher that Helen had never spent a night away.

"It's really unlike her," he said. "All previous times she's left and then come back, you know, much later in the evening. She's never been away all night. That's the first time."

The dispatcher questioned Helen's mental health, to which John said his wife had never been formally diagnosed with anything, adding, "This is just my take on it; she can flip very quickly from rage to everything normal again. I've encouraged her to seek some help, but that doesn't always go well. But she absolutely left Wednesday night in a complete rage."

He assured the dispatcher Helen wouldn't have gotten lost, noting, "She's an independent, capable woman."

John said he grew more concerned about his wife on the second night when she still hadn't returned home.

"I got the rest of the family involved. I can almost understand if she doesn't want to contact me," he said. "We've gone down the list of anybody we think she would contact to lean on in this time, and nothing,' he added. "It's just so weird."

During his testimony, the couple's son shared with the jury of seven women and five men that it was uncharacteristic of his mother to storm off after a dispute with his dad and even more unlike her not to contact anyone in the family.

Helen was 61 when John alleges she left with a packed bag on July 29, 2020. Her cell phone and passport were later discovered at the couple's Aurora home.

Two months later, police arrested and charged John with her death.

Helen's vehicle was later found in a dense forest in Muskoka, destroyed by fire.

Her body has never been found.