Crown, defence agree accused killed teen in cold case from 2000 but disagree on intent
WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
The Crown and defence agree on one thing in the murder trial of Marc-André Grenon: the accused caused the death of 19-year-old student Guylaine Potvin when he broke into her apartment and assaulted her back in 2000.
Grenon, 49, is charged with the first-degree murder and sexual assault of Potvin. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Pierre-Alexandre Bernard says Grenon entered Potvin's home intending to sexually assault her. Causing someone's death during a sexual assault qualifies as first-degree murder and means a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years.
"Potvin had every right to feel safe in her own home, but tragically, Marc-André Grenon literally held Guylaine Potvin's fate in his hands. He took advantage of her vulnerability to attack, overpower and sexually assault her," said Bernard, in his closing argument to the jury.
"For him, hunger justified all means. The fate of Marc-André Grenon will be in your hands."
But Grenon's defence team says their client was there as a burglar and the sexual assault was unplanned.
Lawyer Karine Poliquin argued Grenon had no way of knowing that Potvin would be alone, as her roommate was usually there. She pointed to evidence that drawers in several rooms had been rifled through.
"What if Mr. Grenon entered the apartment with goal of stealing and he was caught in the act by someone? When he's faced with that person he will try to subdue them with an object. Then follows a physical altercation between the two near the bed," Poliquin told the jury.
If there was no sexual assault before Potvin's death, Grenon would be guilty of second-degree murder, which still carries a life sentence but which can allow for parole to be granted after 10 years.
Both sides were making their closing arguments in a cold case that took years to bring to court and involved the police turning to new technology to track down a suspect.
Potvin, who was a junior college student, was found in her basement apartment in April 2000 in Jonquière, Que., now a part of the city of Saguenay, some 215 kilometres north of Quebec City.
Grenon's name surfaced in the investigation in 2022 after a DNA research project suggested someone with his last name could be connected to the murder, and he was arrested after DNA from a cup and straws he had discarded were found to match evidence from the crime scene.
Bernard told the jury Wednesday that the evidence at the crime scene suggests Grenon sexually assaulted Potvin in her bed as she slept and strangled her with a belt.
A memorial for Guylaine Potvin, who was killed in 2000. Grenon, 49, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and sexual assault in connection with the death of Potvin. (Andréanne Larouche/Radio-Canada)
Analysis of the scene showed that signs of struggle were only present in the victim's bedroom and suggest she was surprised while sleeping in her bed. The bed had been moved, with sheets and pillows on the floor.
The prosecutor said Potvin had extensive injuries to her body, was found naked and would have been alive at the time of the injuries because of the bleeding.
DNA was found in several places in the bedroom and on the victim's body and Grenon's blood was found on the belt allegedly used to commit the murder, and on a box of condoms left in the bedroom.
The defence argues that any sexual contact that occurred happened after Potvin was already dead.
Support is available for anyone affected by these reports. You can talk to a mental health professional via Wellness Together Canada by calling 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth or 741741 for adults. It is free and confidential.
