Murder trial focuses on cell phone messages John Sedo sent to his missing wife

The ongoing murder trial of John Sedo, the Aurora man accused of killing his wife, Helen, more than three years ago, focused on his cell phone activity and ATM transactions in court on Tuesday.

The jury of seven women and five men heard testimony from the York Regional Police computer forensic examiner, who detailed John's cell phone activity around the time his wife disappeared.

Text messages retrieved from his cell phone were presented to the court, including one sent to Helen on July 31, 2020, two days after John alleges she went missing. In the text, John expressed concern for her safety, mentioning that her son and brother were worried and that he was prepared to report her missing if she didn't respond.

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John had told the authorities that his wife of 35 years had left following a heated argument on July 29, 2020.

Helen's cell phone was later discovered in the couple's backyard, and her passport had been left behind at their Aurora home.

The court was also told that on the same day Helen went missing, John visited an Aurora bank and withdrew $500.

It was shared with the court how John told investigators he went to the family's Huntsville property after Helen left to clear his head and ride his dirt bike. He told investigators that he had forgotten his cell phone at home, and when the bike broke down, he headed back to Aurora to find his wife still hadn't returned.

The court learned he reported Helen missing days later when her family became increasingly concerned for her safety.

Last week, Helen's brother testified she had confided in him concerns about her marriage to John being troubled. The couple had also allegedly confessed marital difficulties to others, including disagreements over Helen's care for her ailing parents.

Three months after Helen went missing, hunters found her abandoned SUV destroyed by fire in a dense forest near Williamsport Road, northeast of Huntsville.

Despite having never found her body, police arrested John and charged him with second-degree murder.

The Crown is set to call its final witness, the couple's son, Michael Sedo, on Wednesday.