(Saint-Jérôme) The trial of a 78-year-old man accused of murdering his neighbor by shooting her in the back in 2020 opened Tuesday at the Saint-Jérôme courthouse. A friend would likely have arrived at the precise moment when Bonnie-Lyn Finnigan was killed by her vengeful neighbor.
“When I was turning into the parking lot, I heard a gunshot. It was very strong. I saw the dog going crazy. Then I saw Bonny on the ground in front of a car. She was dead,” Micheline Laurin, the prosecution’s first witness, told the jury.
Howard Charles Kirby is accused of murdering Bonnie-Lyn Finnigan. The 78-year-old man from Brownsburg-Chatham, near Lachute, in the Laurentians, allegedly killed his 62-year-old neighbor on October 14, 2020, in the middle of the afternoon.
According to the facts admitted by the parties, Bonnie-Lyn Finnigan died from a single gunshot to the back. This scene was even filmed, according to the Crown, since the victim had installed surveillance cameras on his residence.
“Our theory is that the defendant decided to indulge his grudge against Bonnie-Lyn Finnigan. He tried to get away with it without consequences,” explained Crown prosecutor Me Steve D. Fontaine in his opening statement to the jury.
Also, Bonnie-Lyn Finnigan had testified against the accused in another case. This testimony will be presented to the jury, indicated Me Fontaine, who teams up with Me Jonathan Rabchuk.
After discovering the body of her friend, Micheline Laurin was in a state of “shock”. She had forgotten her cell phone at home and no neighbors were present. In fact, the only neighbor there was Howard Kirby, a man she did not speak to. The woman returned to her car, then decided to turn back.
“I heard a car door close and saw the neighbor in his truck, Mr. Kirby. He started driving fast. He drove like a maniac. He came back. I was nervous, confused, in shock,” said M.me Lauren.
Not knowing what to do, the woman asked Howard Kirby to lend her his cell phone.
“At this point, I’m going to talk to him, otherwise he’ll think it’s weird. He ignored me. I told him again, but he ignored me again. He looked at me. I was afraid for myself. I thought, ‘Maybe he did that to my friend?’ He seemed very strange,” she testified.
At this time, another friend of the victim arrived by car.
The cross-examination of Michelle Laurin will begin Wednesday morning.
Me Maxime Chevalier defends the accused. The trial takes place before judge Pierre Labrie.