The man accused of killing Cynthia Crampton told a police officer he lived in her rented basement suite for two days while her body was still in the bathroom.

The Crown closed its case Wednesday afternoon in Tyler Hurd’s first-degree murder trial. The jury spent the morning listening to the latter part of a three-hour interview between Hurd and police after his arrest June 5, 2016.

Hurd, 35, told Saskatoon police polygraphist Sgt. Rob Sampson he stole Crampton’s money, car and belongings, and then spent two nights in her home after killing Crampton,55, in the bathroom of her rented Stonebridge basement suite.

He said cleaning up Crampton’s body was a “daunting task” and the night he planned to do it he got too tired. He told Sampson when he woke up he had “more pressing things to do” and didn’t remove her body from the home. He said he was aware he left evidence at the scene, including his fingerprints on a hammer, and that he knew he’d be wanted for murder.

Court heard Crampton’s daughter found her body on June 3 — two days after the killing — after she and her sister couldn’t get ahold of Crampton. Police found a hammer and straps from a purse near her body after the murder.

Hurd told Sampson he was surprised it took 30 minutes to kill Crampton with the hammer and eventually strangled her.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Shaun Ladham testified Wednesday Crampton died of blunt force trauma to the head and said there was evidence she was strangled. He also said there was methamphetamine in her blood when she died.

Court heard Crampton was letting Hurd and his girlfriend, Tammy Poffley, stay with her because they were homeless. Hurd told the officer he killed Crampton because she told him if he didn’t have sex with her she’d kick him out. Hurd said this disgusted him because Crampton was friends with Poffley, and said Crampton was a bad person because she sold painkillers and preyed on men.

Hurd said he told Poffley about the murder and said, while she didn’t think Hurd should have killed Crampton, the two justified it.

“She was actually proud of me, if you will, for standing up for her, for us,” Hurd said in the interview.

When asked what he would say to Crampton’s daughters, Hurd said he would apologize. He said while the murder was pre-meditated and he doesn’t feel bad, he feels for Crampton’s daughters.

“I do not feel bad but for your sake I feel horrible,” he said in the interview. “I feel really bad Cindy was still somebody’s mother.”

He went on to say he feels bad that the murder was as drawn out as it was and that it must have been “excruciating” for Crampton, but he doesn’t regret things in his life.

“I wouldn’t change it if I could,” Hurd said.

In the interview, Hurd also tells Sampson where police could find where he dumped some of Crampton’s belongings and detailed how he and Poffley hid and tried to get away while they were wanted in relation to the murder.

Earlier in the interview Hurd confessed to pre-meditating the murder and described in graphic detail how he killed Crampton. He explained the sounds he heard during the killing and how Crampton screamed and pleaded for her life.

He spoke about the murder very casually and only got emotional when he talked about Poffley. He was adamant Poffley was not connected to the murder.

The jury heard how Hurd’s life changed after his wife — also named Tammy — died from cancer in 2010. Hurd said he lost his house, job and children, and started using hard drugs including meth and painkillers.

Toward the end of the interview, Hurd said killing Crampton was the first violent thing he had done. He said a buildup of anger, a lack of a future with his children and a lack of caring anymore led him to the violence.

“I was OK with it then when it was theoretical and I’m OK with it now,” he said.

He explained he has a history of mental illness — bipolar, manic depression and suicide attempts. He asked Sampson whether he would spend time in prison or a psychiatric ward and said suicide crosses his mind. He said he’s smart and knows how to manipulate psychiatrists. Hurd called himself a “sick puppy” and said he’s had dark thoughts since he was a teen.

“That even scares me sometimes — thinking about how systemically I could do and talk about this stuff so easily,” Hurd said. “I know that’s not normal.”

Hurd’s defence lawyer Morris Bodnar didn’t present evidence Wednesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday afternoon before the jury will begin deliberations.