Son takes stand against his father at murder trial
Michael Sedo took the stand Wednesday as the Crown's final witness in the trial of his father, John Sedo, accused of murdering his wife, Helen, who vanished on July 29, 2020.
The couple's son testified about his parent's troubled marriage, sharing how his father told him about a heated argument between the couple, saying John told him Helen left "in a manic rage, hellbent on divorce."
Michael told the courtroom his father was usually the one to leave after an argument to cool off, calling his mother's alleged departure uncharacteristic.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
He disclosed that his parents were on the verge of divorce and had begun selling assets to "disentangle their financial lives" in 2020.
During Wednesday's proceedings, Michael testified he first learned of his mother's disappearance from John about a day after she went missing.
He recalled that was the day he had a job interview, and had tried several times to connect with his parents to no avail, noting he grew concerned for the safety of both his parents, fearing they'd been in a car crash or got lost hiking.
He shared with the court that the last time his mother told him she loved him was via text on July 28, 2020, while wishing him luck with his interview.
The court learned John told his son following Helen's disappearance that he had gone north to their property in Huntsville to clear his head and retrieve his dirt bike before returning home to Aurora.
It was in the hours and days that followed Helen's disappearance Michael testified he became increasingly concerned for his mother's well-being and that he told his father he should call the police to file a missing persons report.
He said John was "resistant to call," saying he felt doing so would be an overreaction.
Two months later, York Regional police charged John with second-degree murder in his wife's death.
Helen's SUV was found three months after she disappeared destroyed by fire in a forest near Huntsville.
Her body has never been found.
The trial will resume on Thursday with the defence presenting its case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6903244.1716897063!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING Scotiabank suffers direct deposit outage on pay day
Scotiabank has acknowledged technical difficulties affecting direct deposits as clients report missed payments Friday morning.
Paris Olympics begin with unique opening ceremony along the Seine
The Paris Summer Olympics officially get underway today with a unique opening ceremony. Instead of marching into a stadium, representatives from more than 200 competing countries will enter the Games on boats along the River Seine.
BREAKING Canada Soccer head investigating 'systemic ethical shortcoming' amid spying scandal
Canada Soccer chief executive officer Kevin Blue said he was investigating a potential 'systemic ethical shortcoming' within the program but has not considered pulling the women's soccer team from the Paris Olympics due to a drone spying scandal.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
'Catastrophic' situation 'cannot continue': Open letter from Trudeau, other PMs calling for Gaza ceasefire
Prime ministers of Canada, New Zealand and Australia released a letter renewing calls for an “urgent ceasefire” in Gaza on Friday morning.
Arson attacks paralyze French high-speed rail network hours before start of Olympics
Outgoing French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said that sabotage and arson that hit key parts of France's high speed rail network on the eve of the Olympics had 'a clear objective: blocking the high speed train network.'
Latest updates on wildfires in Jasper National Park: Rain, cooler weather limiting spread
Cool and wet weather is making a difference in Jasper National Park.
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Sunken treasure: Is the champagne nestled in a 19th-century shipwreck still fit for a toast?
A team of Polish divers has discovered the wreckage of an old sailing ship loaded “to the brim” with luxury goods including porcelain items and about 100 bottles of Champagne and mineral water about 58 meters (190 feet) deep off the Swedish coast.