Monday marked an emotional day in a Winnipeg courtroom for the household of Mackaylah Gerard-Roussin, because the homicide trial for the person accused of killing her will get underway.
Josh Benoit, 24, pleaded not responsible to first-degree homicide in her dying.
Gerard-Roussin was final seen on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022. Days later, her physique was discovered on a distant ATV path close to Woodridge in southern Manitoba. Crown attorneys Danielle Simard and Renee Lagimodiere instructed the courtroom Gerard-Roussin was stabbed to dying, and her physique was present in a plastic container.
On Monday, the courtroom heard tearful testimony from family members of Gerard-Roussin.
“We had been like sisters,” Autumn Batangan, Gerard-Roussin’s pal and cousin, instructed the courtroom. Batangan mentioned she final noticed Gerard-Roussin, 20, on the day she went lacking. She instructed the courtroom they’d spent two hours collectively singing nation music.
The courtroom heard Gerard-Roussin had met Benoit by way of Rossbrook Home, a drop-in centre for youth. Batangan instructed courtroom she had obtained a missed Fb Messenger name from Benoit shortly after 2 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 26, and grew involved when Gerard-Roussin didn’t present up for work that day. She mentioned she made repeated makes an attempt to contact Benoit, however testified he was ignoring her calls.
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Benoit sat impassive in courtroom Monday as his father, Ronaldo Alejandro, took the stand to testify in opposition to his son.
“I’m right here to inform the reality,” he instructed the courtroom.
Alejandro testified that he obtained a name from Benoit to assist him with a flat tire on his automotive. He went to Benoit’s mom’s home in Steinbach on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, the place Benoit’s car was parked. He testified that he opened the again of Benoit’s gray Mazda 3 to discover a tarp masking a plastic container, and located a physique was inside.
Alejandro’s 911 name to report his son was performed in courtroom. Throughout it, he may be heard abruptly telling the operator that Benoit has left the home and fled within the Mazda 3.
A Steinbach RCMP officer that responded to the 911 name testified that officers witnessed Benoit’s car heading west on Freeway 52 close to La Broquerie, Man. Police dashcam footage performed in courtroom exhibits RCMP pulling over and arresting Benoit on the aspect of the freeway. Moments later, the car Benoit was driving turns into engulfed in flames.
The courtroom heard it’s believed Benoit lit the car on fireplace and Gerard-Roussin’s DNA was discovered within the car however her physique was not.
The trial is scheduled to run for 3 weeks.
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