Quadruple-murder trial begins Accused serial killer’s lawyers argue for judge to hear case without jury
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$19 $0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then billed as $19 every four weeks (new subscribers and qualified returning subscribers only). Cancel anytime.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
The long-anticipated quadruple-murder trial of accused serial killer Jeremy Skibicki began Monday morning with a renewed argument over the potential for juror bias.
A jury was chosen last week, but will not be seated in the courtroom to hear evidence until May 8.
Last November, Skibicki’s lawyers argued a motion that denying him the right to be tried by a judge alone was arbitrary and unconstitutional, but it was dismissed by Court of King’s Bench Justice Glenn Joyal, who is presiding over the trial.
Several weeks ago, Skibicki’s Legal Aid lawyers commissioned a poll questioning respondents about the case and are now using it as the basis for another attempt to have the case tried by a judge alone, and not a jury.
Related Articles
Defence for accused serial killer seeks public opinion on high-profile case
Skibicki, 37, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the May 2022 slayings of three Indigenous women — Morgan Harris, Rebecca Contois and Marcedes Myran — as well as a fourth as-of-yet unidentified woman killed in March 2022, who Indigenous leaders have given the name Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
Skibicki is accused of sexually assaulting and killing the victims in his Winnipeg home before disposing of their remains in garbage bins.
Skibicki, dressed in a jail-issue grey T-shirt and track pants, sat in the prisoner’s box a few steps away from his lawyers, flanked by two Sherrif’s officers.
FACEBOOK / FREE PRESS FILES Defence lawyers for accused serial killer Jeremy Skibicki opened the trial Monday with a renewed call that he be allowed to be tried by a judge alone. 
His lawyers are arguing results of the poll — which included questions about whether respondents had a positive or negative view of Skibicki, whether his social media profile suggested he was a caring, violent or racist person and whether they had formed an opinion about his guilt — raise concerns about the ability of jurors to remain unbiased in the case.
On Monday, court heard testimony from Quito Maggi, president of Mainstreet Research, the company commissioned to conduct the poll.
Maggi didn’t comment specifically on the results, but defended the integrity of the poll, which he described as a “snapshot” of the views of the 906 respondents surveyed by phone or text between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15.
“It was a very typical survey,” he said. “There were spots where the completion rate didn’t fall into (normal) parameters… but I wouldn’t say it was a problem.”
Maggi said poll questions were written by Skibicki’s defence team and were provided to respondents from a script, with no deviations or prompting.
Crown prosecutor Renee Lagimodiere argued poll questions did not adequately define terms such as “self-defence” and not criminally responsible,” compromising the results.
“This is public opinion, not expert opinion,” Maggi said. “It is a snapshot of people’s perception of what these words mean, not a legal definition.”
The intent of the poll was to “forecast potential outcomes,” he said.
COURT SKETCH BY JAMES CULLETON King’s Branch Justice Glenn Joyal oversees the opening of accused serial killer Jeremy Skibicki’s trial Monday
Lagimodiere suggested those “outcomes” could not be accurately predicted when the questions that gave rise to them lacked “informed detail.”
“No,” Maggi replied. “People’s inherent biases will come out regardless of logic or details.”
Joyal expressed skepticism on that point, suggesting that the same group of respondents, if supplied a “more sophisticated understsanding” of the questions, could, if surveyed two weeks later, provide “a very different result.”
Arguments on the jury issue resume Tuesday and are scheduled for five days.
During jury selection last week, King’s Bench Justice Rick Saul asked each candidate seven questions agreed to by both Crown and defence, to determine whether they could be unbiased in assessing the evidence, if chosen to hear it.
Questions included whether their ability to remain unbiased would be affected by the fact the four deceased were Indigenous, whether they have formed an opinion as to Skibicki’s guilt and whether they were open to finding a person guilty of murder was not criminally responsible for their actions, if the evidence supported it.
Five of the selected jurors told Saull they had not heard of the case prior to arriving at court.
Jurors are expected to hear opening submissions in the trial on May 8.
The Myran, Harris and Contois families have requested privacy during the trial, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs advised in a release Monday.
dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
Dean Pritchard
Courts reporter
Someone once said a journalist is just a reporter in a good suit. Dean Pritchard doesn’t own a good suit. But he knows a good lawsuit.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
History
Updated on Monday, April 29, 2024 1:34 PM CDT: Adds photo
