Ferdinand Santos remembers running into the hallway of his Saskatoon home after hearing gunshots early in the morning Sept. 12, 2012. He remembers finding his wife face down, and he remembers holding her before paramedics took her away.

The widower took the stand Wednesday at Saskatoon’s Court of Queen’s Bench for day three of Joshua Petrin’s first-degree murder trial.

Petrin is accused in the death of Ferdinand’s wife, Lorry Ann Santos. The 34-year-old mother of four was shot and killed four years ago while answering the door of her home in Saskatoon’s Westview neighbourhood. Police said she was gunned down by members of an Alberta gang called the White Boy Posse, who hit the wrong house.

Ferdinand, who was speaking as a Crown witness, recounted the fatal shooting in court.

He recalled hearing a series of shots — maybe seven.  The first few shots came in quick succession, and after a brief pause, a second round of shots rang out, he said.

He found Lorry face down after he ran into the hallway. She attempted to respond to him as he held her and spoke with her, but no words came out of her mouth, Ferdinand said. 

The last time he saw her was as paramedics took her away.

One Crown witness — whose identity is under a publication ban — told court Tuesday Petrin ordered the hit that led to Santos’ death. The witness said another man named TJ Cromartie, an alleged former member of the White Boy Posse, was the intended target.

Petrin was one of three men arrested after the shooting. The other two were found guilty in the case in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Both were sentenced to life in prison — though one has since appealed his conviction.

Ferdinand, who told court his wife was on maternity leave with the couple’s youngest child at the time of the shooting, was the third of three people to testify Wednesday. The first witness who took the stand said she was a former drug dealer who worked for Petrin, and Crown prosecutors used a statement from the second witness to outline details on how the hitmen hired to kill Cromartie ended up at the wrong house.

According to the Crown, a series of miscommunications via text messages led the hitmen to the Santos’ home. 

Petrin’s trial, which began Monday, is scheduled to last several weeks but defence lawyers expect the trial to conclude within two weeks. The trial had been delayed by about a year because of a conflict of interest with a previous defence lawyer.

Calvin To was in court Wednesday, covering the trial: