Trial began Monday for the man accused of randomly stabbing a 30-year-old Calgary woman who was walking to work in the Beltline three years ago.
Michael Adenyi was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Vanessa Ladouceur.
Ladouceur’s family filled the gallery for the first day of the jury trial and became emotional hearing for the first time the disturbing details of what happened during the last moments of their loved one’s life.
She was steps away from the fitness centre she worked at along 10th Avenue S.E. when she was attacked early in the morning on March 18, 2022.
The Crown argued Adenyi randomly attacked the woman, stabbing her eight times in 11 seconds.
Four witnesses testified on the first day, including a man who described seeing a tall Black man seemingly punching a woman on the ground.
He said he yelled at the man to get off her and he took off.
A woman who worked nearby testified she heard someone call for help and followed a blood trail to discover a woman collapsed in the Palliser south building lobby.
She said she ran next door to her office for a first aid kit but testified there was so much blood, she didn’t know if it would help.
She said the woman was initially sitting up and told her she had been jumped, but those were Ladouceur’s last words.
The woman said Ladouceur then slumped to the ground.
The woman said she continued to ask Ladouceur to wiggle her nose if she could hear her, but that eventually stopped.
EMS arrived shortly after – one of the responding paramedics also testified on Monday that Ladouceur was not breathing and did not have a pulse when they arrived.
The accused was dressed in a suit and kept his gaze to the witness stand.
The trial is scheduled for 18 days and will continue Tuesday with a detective with the Calgary Police Service’s homicide unit set to resume his testimony.
