GUILTY Canada - Renee Sweeney, 23, murdered, Sudbury, Ont, 27 Jan 1998 *arrest in 2018*

[Gina20]

The killer left a trail of blood in the snow which was tracked by the dog. I'm assuming the dog was trailing the blood, and not necessarily the killer. Could that be right? That trail led to the teal coat.

Police seek suspect?s DNA

Greater Sudbury Police are looking at an accused killer of a Cape Breton woman 10 years ago as a possible suspect in the death of a Sudbury university student in 1998. Renee Sweeney was stabbed while working alone at a Paris Street video store Jan.

www.sudbury.com

Police seek suspect?s DNA

Greater Sudbury Police are looking at an accused killer of a Cape Breton woman 10 years ago as a possible suspect in the death of a Sudbury university student in 1998. Renee Sweeney was stabbed while working alone at a Paris Street video store Jan.

www.sudbury.com

The dog would have had to get the scent from something. If the suspect left nothing behind at the scene, whose scent would it be tracking?

Also, I don't recall hearing about impressions taken from footprints in the snow.

 

[Gina20]

Crown takes Wright back to the day of Renée Sweeney’s murder

Robert Steven Wright sticks to yesterday’s testimony that he only found the victim’s body as Crown attorney Rob Parsons ‘suggests’ Wright was the perpetrator

www.sudbury.com

Discussion of football and the jacket vs. bag question. More details.

 

[dotr]

Crown takes Wright back to the day of Renée Sweeney’s murder

Robert Steven Wright sticks to yesterday’s testimony that he only found the victim’s body as Crown attorney Rob Parsons ‘suggests’ Wright was the perpetrator

www.sudbury.com

Discussion of football and the jacket vs. bag question. More details.

Very interesting analogy, keeping it in mind..
From link, thank you for this and the many others too!

''Parsons asked if, while running from the store, Wright felt like a football player, with something tucked under his arm.

“You're running as fast as you can?” asked Parsons.

“I'm guessing I would be,” replied Wright.

“Got to get away, right?”

Wright replied, “Yes, I did not want to be there anymore.”

Parsons then asked Wright if, as a football fan, he would agree that the “fastest way to get down the field is without a ball, without cradling a ball.”

“Correct,” Wright replied.

“So while you were in a panic, on your way as quick as you could, you held on to that bag — what we now know is a jacket — holding on even though it slowed you down.”

“Possibly,” Wright said. ''

 

[musicaljoke]

Three times bail was denied. Defence counsel was granted leave to appeal. Bail was denied again after the fourth hearing. The information remains under publication ban pending the outcome of the trial.

Robert Steven Wright denied bail for fourth time

The reasons for the decision are covered under publication ban

www.sudbury.com

Why would it be held under a publication ban? Is it possible that he was involved in another crime and that the information would be prejudicial to this trial?

 

[Alison]

I believe there may be lists in the boxes of evidence about who was in class/exams that day. I knew someone who was called in for questioning because they missed class/exam that very day from a south end high school. Police did have access to class records back then. I also wonder what was done with the stolen stuff, it must have been discarded. Secondly as a parent in Sudbury if my teen ever came home in January without their coat I’d certainly notice.

 

[JuneBug67]

I believe there may be lists in the boxes of evidence about who was in class/exams that day. I knew someone who was called in for questioning because they missed class/exam that very day from a south end high school. Police did have access to class records back then. I also wonder what was done with the stolen stuff, it must have been discarded. Secondly as a parent in Sudbury if my teen ever came home in January without their coat I’d certainly notice.



They were definitely on the high school student angle at the time. A family member was a teacher at a downtown school and one of their students was questioned due to a resemblance to the composites and/or a tip.

 

[Gina20]

When the case was taken over by the most recent lead investigator, he said there were 100 file boxes of paper evidence. That is substantial. A great deal of effort went into this investigation. Something like a record of attendance at an exam might be part of the agreed facts in this case.

 

[dotr]

Maybe i missed it and cannot find the info. now, but wondering if the accused ever married and/ or has children?

 

[Gina20]

Maybe i missed it and cannot find the info. now, but wondering if the accused ever married and/ or has children?

Canada News Today – Latest National and Local Stories – CTV News

CTV News is your source for breaking news, live updates, analysis, and videos from across Canada. Follow top stories for exclusive insights on Canadian politics, health and more.

www.ctvnews.ca

Wright is married now and was living in North Bay at the time of his arrest.

Also:


He has no prior criminal record, according to investigators.

 However, this is relevant, if a juvenile record exists:

We couldn't find that Web page (Error 404) - Department of Justice / Nous ne pouvons trouver cette page Web (Erreur 404) - Ministère de la Justice

www.justice.gc.ca

 

[Gina20]

This is worth a read, too:

Publication Bans - Youth Justice

Department of Justice Canada's Internet site

www.justice.gc.ca

 

[Gina20]

The laws regarding youth criminal records have changed in recent years.

Recent Changes to Canada's Youth Justice System - Youth Justice

Department of Justice Canada's Internet site

www.justice.gc.ca

 

[Cedars]

I believe there may be lists in the boxes of evidence about who was in class/exams that day. I knew someone who was called in for questioning because they missed class/exam that very day from a south end high school. Police did have access to class records back then. I also wonder what was done with the stolen stuff, it must have been discarded. Secondly as a parent in Sudbury if my teen ever came home in January without their coat I’d certainly notice.

However, the police notes were likely taken just to generate leads for further investigatation, they wouldn't be considered evidence to present at trial. For eg, the original officer always has to testify about the evidence, the notes are just to jog their memory. Similarly, they'd need people to certify that the documents were accurate (how accurate? could they guarantee no errors?) Most people's memories about such mundane things wouldn't be reliable.

JMO

 

[Cedars]

The dog would have had to get the scent from something. If the suspect left nothing behind at the scene, whose scent would it be tracking?

Also, I don't recall hearing about impressions taken from footprints in the snow.

I would guess, the scent of Renee's blood.

ETA: my guess is, in an urban area.snow gets trampled down very quickly by multiple people, footprints are incomplete/unreliable.

 

[Cedars]

member: 101359"]
Oh my! They never swabbed the bathroom for fingerprints. It's hard to believe. Sigh.

[/QUOTE]

Initial reply DBM, I'm not sufficiently up on the case.

However, I expect they believed the fingerprints from the cashbox were better proof of who was responsible for the crime.

JMO

 

[Gina20]

Witness tells jury how he picked John Fetterly out of lineup after Sweeney murder​

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/sudbury-sweeney-trial-day-14-1.6779649

 

[Cedars]

Why would it be held under a publication ban? Is it possible that he was involved in another crime and that the information would be prejudicial to this trial?

Sorry if I'm posting too much, but there appear to be unanswered questions that I'd like to post about.

The right to reasonable bail, and the limited circumstances where it can be denied, are summarized here:

Charterpedia - Section 11(e) – Right not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause

Department of Justice Canada's Internet site

www.justice.gc.ca

I think other offenders, in his circumstances, would have been given bail, he doesn't have means or support to escape the country.

Nor would a crime committed before age 18 have any relevance in denying him bail now. He's been out in the world for decades.

But something like, belief the person might commit suicide if released, would lead to bail being denied.

Those reasons would be under publication ban, both because of privacy rights, and potentially prejudicial to his case.

JMO

 

[Gina20]

More details from yesterday are here in the CTV account:

Sudbury murder suspect finishes testimony, denies involvement in stabbing death

Tuesday afternoon, the Crown accused Robert Steven Wright of stabbing Renee Sweeney to death following a struggle inside the Adults Only Video store in January 1998.

northernontario.ctvnews.ca

Parsons also questioned Wright on his timeline of events. His exam ended around 11 a.m., but Wright wasn’t sure if he finished early, what time he arrived at his locker or how long it took him to walk to the AOV store, which was a roughly seven-minute walk.

 

[Gina20]

Sorry if I'm posting too much, but there appear to be unanswered questions that I'd like to post about.

The right to reasonable bail, and the limited circumstances where it can be denied, are summarized here:

Charterpedia - Section 11(e) – Right not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause

Department of Justice Canada's Internet site

www.justice.gc.ca

I think other offenders, in his circumstances, would have been given bail, he doesn't have means or support to escape the country.

Nor would a crime committed before age 18 have any relevance in denying him bail now. He's been out in the world for decades.

But something like, belief the person might commit suicide if released, would lead to bail being denied.

Those reasons would be under publication ban, both because of privacy rights, and potentially prejudicial to his case.

JMO

Nor would a crime committed before age 18 have any relevance in denying him bail now. He's been out in the world for decades.

I disagree. Laws in effect in 1998 concerning juvenile criminal records were different. I'm not a lawyer, but if a juvenile committed a serious violent offence for which he was found guilty in juvenile court, I think that could follow him for life. It might not be information accessible to the public, but if I read things correctly, such information could be used at a judge's discretion in considering bail for someone accused in a crime in adulthood.

I do agree that a mental health issue might be another reason to deny bail and put a publication ban in place.

Surely something like being a flight risk would not be sufficient reason to order a publication ban. We know that the accused did not step forward in the 20 years prior to his arrest. We also know that he lived not far away until that time. He did not flee the country.

I'm not a lawyer. I find it unusual that bail would be denied four times, even after an appeal. There is some unknown compelling reason for this decision.

 

[JuneBug67]

Sorry if I'm posting too much, but there appear to be unanswered questions that I'd like to post about.

The right to reasonable bail, and the limited circumstances where it can be denied, are summarized here:

Charterpedia - Section 11(e) – Right not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause

Department of Justice Canada's Internet site

www.justice.gc.ca

I think other offenders, in his circumstances, would have been given bail, he doesn't have means or support to escape the country.

Nor would a crime committed before age 18 have any relevance in denying him bail now. He's been out in the world for decades.

But something like, belief the person might commit suicide if released, would lead to bail being denied.

Those reasons would be under publication ban, both because of privacy rights, and potentially prejudicial to his case.

JMO

Seriousness of the crime and to preserve the public faith in the admistration of justice would be my assumptions. It would be extremely hard to justify an arrest and then a release in these circumstances in this city.

 

[Cedars]

Seriousness of the crime and to preserve the public faith in the admistration of justice would be my assumptions. It would be extremely hard to justify an arrest and then a release in these circumstances in this city.

Perhaps, but would those reasons be under a publication ban? Seem like something the judge would be willing to put into the public record...

JMO