SAGUENAY, Que. – The jury for the trial of Marc-André Grenon, who is accused of the first-degree murder and sexual assault of a 19-year-old junior college student in 2000, heard closing arguments from the defense on Wednesday. Grenon’s lawyer admitted to the jury that her client acknowledges killing the student, but denies that the act was premeditated. Lawyer Karine Poliquin argued that the evidence supports a second-degree murder charge, rather than first-degree, as the act was not planned and deliberate.
During the trial, Poliquin did not call any witnesses and stated that Grenon denies acting with premeditation or sexually assaulting the victim before her death. She contended that Grenon broke into the apartment planning to commit a burglary and killed the victim during a physical altercation. Poliquin also pointed out that Grenon’s intentions were unclear as he did not bring any weapons or tools to carry out a planned assault.
The defense argued that Grenon’s actions, such as taking a box of condoms from a desk drawer in another room, suggested that he was rifling through the drawers looking for things to steal, rather than planning a sexual assault. The trial has also heard that Grenon’s DNA was found in multiple locations on the victim’s body, but Poliquin cited the testimony of a pathologist, stating that it was impossible to be certain when Potvin’s injuries occurred.
The Crown had earlier argued that evidence at the crime scene suggested that Grenon sexually assaulted Potvin in her bed before killing her. Prosecutor Pierre-Alexandre Bernard contended that there was no evidence of a struggle elsewhere in the apartment, indicating that the victim was attacked as she slept. This conflicting testimony will leave the jury with the difficult task of reaching a verdict.
The trial has also revealed that male DNA collected at the crime scene following Potvin’s death did not match any records in the criminal database, leading to the case remaining unsolved for over 20 years. Grenon only came under suspicion in 2022 after law enforcement tracked him down through a DNA database that analyzes the Y chromosomes of unknown samples.
The defense and prosecution have presented conflicting narratives and interpretations of the evidence, leaving it to the jurors to carefully consider the arguments made by both sides. Justice François Huot is set to deliver final instructions to the jury and they will then be sequestered until a verdict is reached. The trial will ultimately determine the fate of Marc-André Grenon, as well as bring closure to a tragic and long-unsolved case.