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Chilling comments allegedly heard in prison will form part of what prosecutors say is an "overwhelming" case against Liam James Reid for brutal crimes spanning two cities.
Reid, 36, is on trial in the High Court in Christchurch for the rape and murder of deaf Christchurch woman Emma Agnew, 20, and the rape, attempted murder and robbery of a student in Dunedin nine days later.
On day one of the trial yesterday, the Crown prosecutors outlined factors such as DNA evidence, fingerprints, cellphone records and alleged admissions which it said would prove Reid to be responsible for both attacks.
Among the 106 witnesses to be called will be a prison officer who allegedly heard Reid, being held in custody, say: "I had to strangle her to shut the stupid cow up."
But Reid's defence is that he had no part in either attack, and his lawyer David Bunce described the case against his client as "fragile and inconsistent".
Some witnesses, such as a woman who said she saw Reid driving Miss Agnew's car, were simply "unreliable", Mr Bunce said.
Crown prosecutor Pip Currie said DNA evidence, from blood on Reid's shoes and a pubic-like hair found in Miss Agnew's car, was described by scientists as "extremely strong".
A pattern of "unusual sexual practice" also linked the two victims and Reid's partner, Mrs Currie said.
Miss Agnew disappeared on November 15 last year after texting to tell her mother there was someone interested in buying her car. Mrs Currie said Reid raped her, and then killed her by stuffing a sock in the back of her throat, before dumping her body in scrub north of Christchurch.
Reid then hitch-hiked south to Dunedin, before raping and attempting to strangle his second victim, a 20-year-old student, as she walked home in the early hours of November 24.
He told his victim he had raped and killed before, Mrs Currie said.
Reid hitch-hiked back to Christchurch and on the way is alleged to have made "various crude comments about sexual matters and violence towards females".
Shown a photograph montage, the Dunedin woman identified Reid as her attacker.
Among the other witnesses to be heard in the trial is Burton Shipley, husband of former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, who will testify Reid sought a trip on his yacht from Nelson to Australia after the killing of Miss Agnew. The trial is expected to last about a month.
