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That is the final testimony that will be heard this afternoon. Dean Penney’s testimony will resume on Friday. 

A juror has been excused from the case due to a personal matter, meaning one of the alternates will step into the jury.

Friday is a half-day in court, meaning the trial will only sit until around 12:30 p.m. NT. Ryan Cooke and I will be back tomorrow morning when the trial resumes.

As part of the fictitious crime organization, Vic vouched for Penney and the work he was doing. Vic told Penney that if he were to double-cross him, it would “break his heart.”

Penney said he felt the weight of that voucher, and said he knew going against the group could bring consequences.

Penney told the fictitious crime organization that he was never violent toward women. He added he wasn’t raised like that.

Just before, he reiterated that all of the work he did and money he made was for Jennifer Hillier-Penney, his wife of 18 years.

Members of Jennifer’s family continue to watch quietly. Some have their eyes locked on him. Others, like his daughter Marina, aren’t making eye contact with Dean Penney.

They’re now discussing a conversation that was played for the court, where Penney told Vic about multiple missing people from St. Anthony, including his wife. 

St. Anthony — named for the patron saint of the lost — has seen more than its fair share of missing people who have never been seen again.

Penney says he wanted Vic to understand how he was feeling, to understand he wasn’t always like this.

During that conversation, Penney was adamant he had nothing to do with Jennifer Hillier-Penney’s disappearance and called her his "sunshine."

"I was just tired of people blaming me for something I didn’t do," Penney testified. "Vic seemed like a good person to vent to, so I started talking to him about it."

Penney says he had death threats, people who were violent towards him, a bullet shot through the back wall of his house, and more.

On top of his own bills, Penney was also given his childhood home by his mother when she died. Penney said he felt he had a responsibility to upkeep the home, adding to his financial pressures.

Vic said in his testimony that he saw Penney lose around 20 pounds after his mother’s death. It was around this time Vic started approaching Penney with odd jobs in order to give him financial support.

"That was a pretty big advance for me," Penney said.

Penney is talking about the loss of his mother, Ruby, in 2021. She ran the family fishing business, which fell apart in her absence.

Penney said this was "another big emotional loss." His lawyer, Mark Gruchy, asks what the other big loss was.

"My wife, who went missing, was a very big emotional loss because there were no answers and we didn’t know what was going on," Penney says. "She was a very big part of my life."

There’s an audible sigh from Hillier-Penney’s older brother. 

Penney says he suffered financial and emotional hardship, and Vic was there for him on both fronts — offering support in friendship and money.

The break is over, and we’re back underway.

The undercover officer, Vic, testified earlier in the trial about his close relationship with Dean Penney. They gave each other “bro hugs” and exchanged gifts on multiple occasions. He said Penney gave him a locally sourced, carved soapstone polar bear, which he says is still one of the best gifts he’s ever received. 

Vic said they were best friends — to the point where he hoped their investigation would prove Penney didn’t kill his wife.

Penney has been testifying for an hour, and the court is now in recess for a short afternoon break.

Penney said Vic became a very good friend. They would talk on the phone as much as four times a week.

"I was spending more time with him than anyone else…. As things progressed, [he was] probably one of my best friends.

"I thought of him no different than any of my family."

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