Winnipeg man accused of killing four women will face jury
A Winnipeg man accused of killing four Indigenous women will have his trial heard by a jury – despite a second attempt by his defence to have the jury tossed.
On Friday morning, Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal dismissed a motion by Jeremy Skibicki’s lawyers to have the quadruple-homicide trial heard by judge alone.
Skibicki is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and an unidentified woman who Indigenous have given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe or Buffalo Woman.
He has pleaded not guilty.
While a first-degree murder charge automatically requires a jury trial, Joyal noted an accused can request their case be heard by judge alone, but Crown prosecutors must consent.
In this case, the Crown has not.
Skibicki’s lawyers have argued ‘pervasive’ media coverage in the lead-up to the trial may have led to a bias among jurors, and argued a jury trial would violate Skibicki’s rights to a fair trial.
They pointed to an opinion poll they commissioned, which found a majority of respondents believe Skibicki is guilty and indicated they would find it unacceptable if he were to be found not criminally responsible by way of mental disorder.
The court also heard testimony from a U.S.-based cognitive psychologist who has studied the impact and influence pre-trial publicity can have on a jury’s decision-making ability.
She said once a juror has formed an opinion of guilt based on the media coverage they consumed before the trial, it is unlikely – if not impossible – to change during the trial.
However, in his decision, Joyal disagreed.
“Impartiality as it relates to the judicial system is not understood to mean the jurors do not hold any form of bias, nor does it suggest that jurors are artificially neutral,” Joyal said.
He said it is the responsibility of the judicial system, through instruction to the jury, to cleanse any biases jurors bring with them.
In this case, he said there was rigorous questioning during jury selection, and there will be further instruction to the jurors about their role – to make a finding based on the evidence presented in court alone.
“While it is expected the jurors, much like judges, are shaped by their lived experience including the media they digest,” Joyal said. “In the Canadian judicial system we believe jurors are able to rise to the heightened expectations required of their role in order to ensure a fair trial is provided to the accused person.”
Skibicki’s defence lawyers made a similar push to have the trial proceed without a jury, but that too was dismissed earlier this year.
“We thought our arguments were impeccable… but the lordship made a decision and we'll take it from there,” Leonard Tailleur, one of Skibicki’s defence lawyers said outside the courthouse Friday.
He said this doesn’t change anything going into the trial.
When asked about their plan to argue Skibicki is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder, Tailleur said, “That'll be elucidated further in the trial proper, so we'll leave it at that.”
The jury will begin hearing evidence on May 8.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Robert Pickton to remain in medically induced coma until later this week: police
Serial killer Robert Pickton will remain in a medically induced coma for at least the next few days following an attack in a Quebec prison Sunday, according to police spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu.
Poverty report cards: Which provinces got the worst grades?
Poverty and food insecurity have worsened in most of Canada in the past year and most provincial governments aren't doing enough to address the problem, according to a just-released series of report cards.
'I feel betrayed': Ottawa-area customers out thousands of dollars warn of bad faith contractor
A group of people from eastern Ontario and western Quebec is issuing a warning about Dennis Walker and his company Vue Windows.
'Holy moly, that's me!': Canadian soccer star Christine Sinclair gets her own Barbie
Legendary Canadian soccer player Christine Sinclair is now immortalized with a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll that looks just like her.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
'Five feet nothing': Pickton's safety likely behind Quebec transfer, says ex-prison judge
When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia's Kent Institution to a maximum security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
Trudeau's speech to union delegates took aim at Conservatives
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to the United States targeted U.S. lawmakers, but also his political opponents in Canada, as his speech to one of the largest unions in North America attempted to make the case that his party cares more about workers’ rights than Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.