A crime scene technician testified on the fourth day of the criminal trial of the stepmother of the child now known as the “Granby Girl”.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) specialist identified many objects of interest for the investigation in the family home in Granby, Estrie, where the 7-year-old was found unconscious on the morning of April 29. 2019. He also took photos to “capture the scene,” he said.
The 38-year-old mother-in-law, who cannot be identified, is charged with second degree murder of the child and forcible confinement. His jury trial is taking place at the Trois-Rivières courthouse. She has pleaded not guilty to the crimes with which she is charged and has been detained since her arrest.
Charles Camiré, the crime scene technician, arrived on the scene in the early evening. Police ribbons had already been installed on the grounds of the house and two patrollers were watching the surroundings.
Empty room
He testified to a clean and tidy house with a full fridge. We see a lot of toys in his photos.
The contrast is great with the room where the girl was found on April 29, 2019.
It looks empty because all the furniture has been stacked against the wall where the windows are. A small pink child’s bed has been placed aside on top of a filing cabinet. A wooden chair had been placed over it.
On the floor was a small bedside lamp, two pairs of scissors, a pink toque with pom poms, and a khaki green adult shirt.
This was deployed by the crime scene technician to show “all the details”. The shirt was wet at the bottom as well as on the right shoulder. The two sleeves were tied with a double knot: “well tied,” said Mr. Camiré.
Crown prosecutors made known their intentions on Monday, the first day of the trial: they want to show that the accused kidnapped the girl by wrapping her in duct tape. “We will prove, it is our objective, that the nature of the actions taken by the accused and the circumstances in which they were committed constitute second degree murder. “
The crime scene technician also noted small pieces of transparent adhesive paper in this room. Just outside of it was on a filing cabinet a roll of sticky paper of the type used to seal boxes. And on the floor in the hallway he saw – and photographed – a 13cm by 41cm pile of duct tape that had a “shape,” he said, also describing it as “a bit molded”. . On this sticky paper, he noted that brown hair was stuck to it. “There were quite a few. “
On Monday, first responders testified that they found the little girl naked on the floor of the room, and described her as “very thin” and even “rickety”. There was liquid and vomit on the floor and the pile of duct tape was near her.
That evening, Mr. Camiré was also ordered to go to the hospital to take pictures of the girl and the marks on her body. The origin of these marks has not yet been explained to the 14 jurors. It was in this hospital that the girl died the next day, April 30, 2019.
The trial continues Thursday afternoon.