It took a jury just two-and-a-half hours to find Thomas Brine guilty of first-degree murder in the violent killing of a Winnipeg grandmother.
It's been five years since Elizabeth Lafantaisie, 73, was sexually assaulted, strangled to death and left in the trunk of her car.
On Wednesday, there was relief and closure for her family as the jury foreperson delivered the guilty verdict in court.
"We're so happy that there's been justice for my mother," said Lise Gosselin, one of Lafantaisie’s daughters, who spoke to reporters surrounded by family members outside the law courts.
"It won't bring her back, but at least we can end this and go on with our lives,” said Lafantaisie’s other daughter, Anna Maynard. "We were cheated out of so many years with her, so it's really tough to take."
It's been an emotional week for the family as they sat in court listening, for the first time, to the graphic details of Lafantaisie's horrific last moments.
"For five years we've been wondering what could've happened to her and how,” said Gosselin. “Now, at least we know, and we don't know everything; but there is a clearer picture."
During the trial, the Crown used video evidence to show jurors a lengthy police interrogation between Winnipeg police detectives and Thomas Brine, after he had become a suspect in the case.
Brine admitted to stealing cars in key areas linked to the crime, but held back information about finding Lafantaisie’s body until detectives pushed for answers.
"At what point do you discover someone's in that trunk, at what point Thomas?” one detective asked Brine.
Brine denied he had anything to do with Lafantaisie's death, but admitted he stole her car. He eventually told detectives how he discovered her lifeless body in the trunk while in a south Winnipeg parkade.
Brine told detectives how he left the body in the trunk and took the car through a car wash to try to remove his fingerprints.
The Crown presented DNA evidence taken from Lafantaisie's body, which was a match to Brine's DNA profile.
The jury's deliberation lasted a little more than two hours before a verdict was reached, meaning jurors decided the Crown had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Brine is the killer; a man who court heard was a complete stranger to Lafantaisie.
"It could've happened to anyone, it happened to our mother,” said Gosselin. “I just can't see why these things happen."
Thursday will mark exactly five years to the day Elizabeth Lafantaisie was killed – a woman who meant so much to her family.
“She always had that loving smile,” said Maynard. “I think whoever has their moms today, or their grandmothers, hug them. Embrace them and be with them because you just never know.”
Gosselin said the family feels overwhelmed, but remains focused on the good memories they have of their mother.
“She always dressed to a tee, she always looked good – didn’t matter where she was, she looked good,” said Gosselin. “That’s what my kids remember. They called her, ‘ma mère you smell so good and look so good.’ We have those wonderful memories.”
Court is adjourned until Thursday morning at 11 a.m., at which time the judge will give Brine his sentence.
He faces an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
