The mystery deepens!

Good Day Readers:

Spent yesterday at the Law Courts covering the Labossiere trial. Everytime Steven Solomon entered and departed the courtroom (at least on one occasion the jury was excused along with the witness plus a short afternoon recess), he was accompanied by "3-burly gentleman" one can only assume were police officers.

Throughout Mr. Solomon's testimony the courtroom was so riveting you could hear a pin drop.

The media has reported Jerome and two others (unnamed) have been charged with the 2005 murders of parents' Fernand and Rita Labossiere along with son Remi at the family home near St. Leon, Manitoba. We have checked with both Queen's Bench and Provincial Court File Registeries and only found in the latter a reference to someone who was initially charged with 3-counts of first degree murder.

To our surprise it was not that of Jerome Labossiere but of someone whose name, to the best of our understanding, has not yet come up in testimony. Even more intriguing the charges were stayed (dropped) on June 14, 2010.

A word of caution is in order. Given poor acoustics in many courtrooms at The Law Courts, it is indeed quite possible at times to miss what is said by witnesses, counsel and judges. That notwithstanding, and assuming the indivudual named in court records has no connection to the Labossiere case whatsoever, the question becomes why were charges so serious dropped? We have chosen not to name the person because the indictments were stayed. While still on the subject of hearing, Justice Richard Saull is to be commended for his efforts to ensure everyone can hear by constantly reminding witnesses to keep the desk microphone no more than a foot from them.

Another trial we'll be following is that of Mark Jacob Stobbe scheduled to open during January of 2012. Mr. Stobbe was charged in 2008 with the murder of his 42-year old wife whose body was found in a car at a Selkirk, Manitoba parking lot.

http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/murder+trial+date+set
+for+former+advisor+to+sask+premier/46482/story.html

If hallway chatter means anything it could be a lengthy trial. Rumour has it a large whack of subpoenas have been issued.

Finally, the trial of 4-Native Syndicate Stoney Mountain inmates being retried in the 20005 beating death of fellow inmate David Tavares (Courtroom 214). The Crown and Defence lawyers are expected to begin their final submissions to the jury. Justice Lori Spivak could give her final charge as early as Monday of next week. After that the deliberations will begin. We do not know if the jury will be sequestered.

Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
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Key witness testifies at double-murder trial
CBC News

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Double murder trial hears from deceased witness
The jury in a Manitoba double-murder trial began hearing testimony from the Crown's key witness, a one-time friend of the accused killer.A court sketch of Kelly Clarke, 41, who is accused of killing Joel and Magdalena Labossiere in Winnipeg in 2008. (Tom Andrich)

Steven Solomon told jurors Tuesday afternoon that he first met Kelly Clarke at the Stony Mountain penitentiary around 2007. The two began hanging out after they were released, he said.

Clarke, 41, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of Joel Labossiere, 34, and his wife, Magdalena, 33, who were found shot "execution-style" in their St. Vital home on April 20, 2008.

Clarke's trial began November 16 in Winnipeg.

On Tuesday, Solomon testified that when he and Clarke were out of prison, he would drive Clarke around for errands.

Solomon said that in March 2008, he and Clarke went to the St. Leon, Man., where Denis Jerome Labossiere, an uncle of Joel Labossiere, lived.

Court earlier heard that Jerome Labossiere has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after his parents, Fernand and Rita Labossiere, and his brother Remi were found dead in their St. Leon farm after a fire in 2005.

Clarke said they were going to a barbecue and "to meet Frenchie" — a reference to Jerome Labossiere, according to Solomon.

Was asked to remove phone battery

Solomon testified that Clarke asked him to remove the battery from his cellphone on their way out of Winnipeg. Solomon said he never asked why.

Upon arriving at Jerome Labossiere's farm, they went out to a garage, drank beer, snorted cocaine and talked for a couple of hours, court was told.

According to Solomon, Jerome Labossiere told the men he believes a neighbour, with the participation of Joel Labossiere and another man, were involved in his parents' deaths and a fire that destroyed their home.

Labossiere also said he had a suitcase with $70,000 in cash in their home when it was burned to the ground, according to Solomon's testimony.

Later that night, on their way back to Winnipeg, Clarke told Solomon of a plot directed by Jerome Labossiere to kidnap and torture the neighbour in order to extract a videotaped confession from the man, Solomon testified.

Solomon said he was tired from being up all weekend and he didn't really want anything to do with the plan, so he tried to avoid the subject on the rest of the drive home.

Solomon said he did not mention the plan to anyone else or contact police about it.
Solomon testified that some time later, he was driving Clarke around when they stopped at a Winnipeg gas station for a pre-arranged meeting with a man who jumped in the back, spoke for a bit, then left a double-barrelled sawed-off shotgun and some shells on the seat.

Court was told that Clarke took the weapon with him, but after an argument he eventually convinced Solomon to leave the shotgun under the spare tire in the back of his car.

Solomon's testimony on Tuesday ended after he spoke about a meeting with Jerome Labossiere and Clarke on April 18, 2008, at a halfway house.

The jury is expected to hear more testimony from Solomon, as well as cross-examination, on Wednesday.