Evidence of Rusterholz having access to sharp, military or hunting style knives from the police search of his Daphne Court, Rocherlea, property and his eBay purchases:
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Police found a series of knives in the main bedroom of the house plus a sheathed, hunting style knife underneath the mattress, and a collection of knives inside the locked shed.
Rusterholz's eBay purchases included a Marttiini Condor utility knife, a German steel World War II knife, an eight-inch Kaiser military knife, a Kershaw fixed-blade knife with sheath, a diamond deluxe knife sharpening system and a flint for starting fires.
Evidence of state forensic pathologist Dr Donald Ritchie about the nature and position of the wounds and his opinion as to the category of the weapon used:
Ms Hallam's injuries were an incised wound to the right side of the neck, an incised wound to the left side of the neck, a 15-centimetre-deep stab wound to the back, and two bruises to the left lower leg.
Mr Newman's injuries were an incised wound to the left side of the neck, a stab wound to the scalp, a stab wound to the left upper chest, a stab wound to the left armpit area, multiple cuts and incised wounds that were deep and gaping to the left forearm and hand, incised wounds that were deep and gaping on the right forearm, and bruises to the left side of the neck.
Dr Ritchie said that Mr Newman had defensive wounds and that the murder weapon was likely a very sharp instrument, probably a large hunting knife or similar.
Evidence from forensic scientist Deborah McHoul, of Forensic Science Service Tasmania, about the position of the blood in the unit, types of blood patterns and DNA results:
The DNA of Mr Newman found at the crime scene showed that he had an initial altercation with Rusterholz at or near the stairs and while fighting for his life he tried to escape at the front door, but suffered further wounds from which he could not recover and either stumbled or was moved to where his body was found.
Witness Brett Imlach gave evidence that Rusterholz revealed to him how he had killed Mr Newman which was generally consistent with the blood patterns found in the unit.
Evidence of DNA results from the fuel can police found inside Rusterholz's locked shed at his Daphne Court, Rocherlea, property:
Mr Newman's blood was identified on the stained, five-litre, red plastic fuel can seized from the shed.
His blood was likely transferred onto the fuel can while Rusterholz splashed petrol about at the crime scene.
The bag of ashes Brett Imlach gave to Glenorchy policeman Steven Jordan, which supported Mr Imlach's evidence about what he did and what Rusterholz told him:
Mr Imlach said that Rusterholz drove him to Kingston late on August 15, 2012, and said that he had "something to bond them for life".
He and Rusterholz burnt hair and a boot in a fire drum.
Upon hearing about the murders via the news, Mr Imlach finally believed what Rusterholz had told him so he retrieved the ashes and gave them to police.
Evidence of Rusterholz's burnt-out Hyundai car found in Farley Street, Glenorchy, near the Brooker Highway home of Sally Mayer:
The Crown said that Rusterholz lied about what happened to his car when police asked him about it in his videotaped interview on August 17, 2012.
Rusterholz had driven his Hyundai from Launceston to Hobart on the night of August 15.
He told police his car was stolen after he left it parked in the Moonah area with the keys in the ignition, and went for a walk on August 16.
Police asked Rusterholz why he failed to report this to police and Rusterholz said that the car only cost him $1000 so it was not worth reporting it stolen.
The Crown said that Rusterholz burnt his car to destroy potential evidence.
Mr Imlach gave evidence that Rusterholz had told him, "the car has gotta go, it has got to be burnt".
Telecommunications evidence including call charge records and text messages from the mobile phones of persons in the case:
Texts from Rusterholz in the lead-up to the murders showed that he felt animosity towards Ms Hallam and was emotional about their relationship.
About an hour or so before the murders, the Crown said that Ms Hallam lied in a text message to Rusterholz at 8.46pm which made him believe that Mr Newman was absent.
That was when Rusterholz decided that he would go and kill her.
Rusterholz sent Ms Hallam a "ruse" text message at 10.34pm, in which Rusterholz said he had fallen asleep and was going to Hobart, to deflect attention away from him after he had already committed the murders.
