'The bullets in that car hit their targets' Windsor murder trial nears completion after more than three months
WARNING: Graphic content
Closing arguments were completed Monday in the months-long trial of three men from the Kitchener area accused in the murder of a Windsor woman.
Tameko Vilneus, 28, Kyle Hanna, 29, and Keermaro Rolle, 26 are each charged with first degree murder in the death of Madisen Gingras, 20, who was killed on April 1, 2020 as well as attempted murder.
Crown theory:
It’s the Crown’s belief Keermaro Rolle was the one to shoot Gingras in the back of the head at point blank range.
Hanna loaded the gun used in the shooting and Vilneus’ DNA could not be excluded from a swab taken from a strap used to choke Reaume, according to the Crown’s closing statements.
Assistant Crown attorney Delia Greco told the jury all three men knew about and aided in the plan “for what they were going to do that night.”
Key witness:
The Crown’s key witness is also the surviving victim, Jacob Reaume, Gingras’ boyfriend.
“There are a lot of inconsistencies in his statement to police,” Greco admitted to the jury Monday but she asked them to rely on the “independent objective evidence” they presented to substantiate his testimony.
During his 16 days on the stand, Reaume admitted to lying to police and during the trial’s preliminary hearing.
Reaume, the jury heard, was a dealer in the Windsor area for the drug-trafficking “enterprise” that was based in Kitchener.
Gingras was also “part of the drug subculture” in Windsor, according to the Crown.
Greco asked the jury to consider a few other pieces of evidence including:
- Reaume had no reason to kill Gingras as the couple was in the middle of moving into a new place the day she died
- Reaume willingly allowed the police to search his cellphone knowing it would likely contain incriminating evidence
- Reaume went to his father’s home immediately after the shooting looking for help, telling him “they shot Maddy”
- Reaume was also shot in the arm
- Reaume was also bound and “choked out” by a zip tie tied around his neck by the accused men
Forcible confinement:
According to the Crown, the accused played “Russian roulette” with Gingras inside the bathtub of a South Windsor hotel room bathroom.
Gingras had a strap placed around her neck and Reaume testified she “begged for her life” as she tried to “fight not being strangled.”
The jury heard evidence Gingras was forced to consume a “loonie” sized amount of fentanyl and drink five cups of water by the accused.
The shooting:
Gingras was taken outside to Reaume’s car with her hands zip tied at the wrists before being shot in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
“The bullets in that car hit their targets,” Greco told the jury when asking them to consider why there weren’t more stray bullet holes inside the vehicle.
Reaume was shot in the arm with a “through and through” wound to his bicep.
Greco reminded the jury Rolle and Vilneus got out of the vehicle and continued to shoot while Reaume drove away.
The windshield and rear window were shattered as a result, according to the Crown and bullet casings were found on the ground by police.
Cellphone evidence:
During the trial, there was a lot of cellphone evidence, from messaging apps, phone calls and text messages.
They showed the jury a text message from a cellphone the Crown says belonged to Rolle which read “last person I killed was a b***h too, in case you didn’t know.”
Cellphone records also show multiple online searches for “Windsor news” and “Windsor shooting,” from cell towers in the region, in the days after the incident.
After the shooting, communication between Reaume and the accused men stopped.
Autopsy evidence:
The jury was reminded of evidence from Gingras’ autopsy.
A toxicologist found an “extremely high” level of fentanyl in Gingras’ body, a level that was 10 times higher than any amount the scientist had ever seen and one which would have likely lead to overdose.
A forensic pathologist also had to remove zip ties from Gingras’ neck and wrists.
Charge to the jury:
Justice Maria Carroccia started her ‘charge to the jury’ Monday afternoon.
“I will instruct you on the law,” Justice Carroccia said before advising the charge will conclude Tuesday morning and then the case will be given to the jury for deliberations.
As of Tuesday, the jury will be sequestered until they can reach a unanimous verdict, beyond a reasonable doubt of the accused’s innocence or guilt.
Defence theories:
Here are the defence lawyers theories, based on their closing arguments which concluded Friday June 2.
'Like a house of cards': Defence for accused in murder trial begin closing summations
Defence concludes closing summations in Windsor murder trial
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
The pros and cons of discussing mental health issues in the workplace
A group of lawyers has written what they call a groundbreaking book about how mental health is perceived in the legal profession.