Trial begins for Quebec man charged in murder of 19-year-old Guylaine Potvin

Guylaine Potvin, a 19-year-old junior college student, was found dead in her apartment in Jonquière, Que., in April 2000. (Submitted by Sûreté du Québec - image credit)
Guylaine Potvin, a 19-year-old junior college student, was found dead in her apartment in Jonquière, Que., in April 2000. (Submitted by Sûreté du Québec - image credit)

The trial for a man charged in the murder and sexual assault of a junior college student almost 24 years ago got underway with jury selection Monday morning.

Marc-André Grenon, 47, of Granby, Que., is charged with the first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault of Guylaine Potvin, 19, who was found dead in April 2000 in her apartment in Jonquière, Que., about 215 kilometres north of Quebec City.

Grenon was present in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Court proceedings will last about six weeks and take place before Quebec Superior Court Judge François Huot at the courthouse in Chicoutimi.

Some 300 prospective jurors were summoned today. In total, 14 people will be chosen to form the jury. Three people — one woman and two men — were selected this morning.

Grenon was arrested on Oct. 12, 2022, by investigators from Quebec provincial police's cold case squad, 22 years after Potvin's death, thanks to advancements in forensic biology.