The father accused of stabbing his partner to death before killing their two young children has chosen not to further detail his version of the facts and will not present a defense.
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Synthia Bussières and her two children, Zac and Éliam, aged 2 and 5, were found lifeless in their condo in Brossard in September 2022. The spouse and father of the victims, Mohamad Al Ballouz, was arrested on the spot and then charged the premeditated murders of the children and the unpremeditated murder of the 38-year-old woman.
His jury trial began last month and continued Wednesday at the Longueuil courthouse, after a break of a few days.
The father, who now identifies as a woman and goes by the name Levana Ballouz, chose not to testify in his defense.
PHOTO COURTESY ALEX S. GIRARD
And no witnesses will be heard, she revealed to the jury.
This therefore means that the accused, who represents herself, will not be able to further detail her version of the facts.
Indeed, during the cross-examination of certain witnesses, she took the opportunity to contradict the Crown’s theory.
Died “in less than 10 minutes”
She had suggested that it was the mother who would have taken the lives of the kids, before trying to attack her.
However, according to several witnesses, the woman’s body was rigid when the first responders arrived. Those of the children were soft and still warm.
Images from the surveillance camera located in the garage of the condo building. We see the accused, from behind, as well as Synthia Bussières and their two children Zac and Éliam, on the day of the tragedy. COURTESY OF THE COURT
COURTESY OF THE COURT
This suggests that the mother was killed first since the body of a child will become rigid much more quickly than that of an adult due to its smaller muscle mass, testified the forensic pathologist, Dr. Yann Dazé.
Synthia Bussières had no chance. She was stabbed 23 times, in the face, the back of the head, but also in the neck.
These latter injuries are sure to lead to death, in “less than 10 minutes,” said Dr. Dazé.
The woman also had several wounds on her hands, defensive wounds, which suggests that she tried to disarm her attacker.
Causes of death unknown
But for the children, the mystery persists: we do not know how they were killed. The little ones had no trace of violence, drugs, or carbon monoxide. And they weren’t sick.
And there’s no way they could have died of natural causes at the same time. They were thus murdered, but we do not know how.
They could have been drowned or asphyxiated with an object, without leaving any trace.
COURTESY OF THE COURT
During the pathologist’s testimony, the Crown prosecutor, Me Laurence Lamoureux, exhibited the photo of a pillow found at the scene of the crimes. We see traces of blood belonging to the father, as well as a handprint.
According to the expert, such a soft object would have left no trace on the children’s skin if it had been used to obstruct their airways.
