The trial for first degree murder of Charles Lassonde, accused of having kidnapped and killed Serge Boutin in Danville, in Estrie, began Monday morning in Sherbrooke.
• Also read: Serge Boutin buried alive: Lana Dubois allegedly failed to reveal crucial information at her father’s murder trial
• Also read: Serge Boutin buried alive: the two alleged murderers would have returned to the scene of the crime
• Also read: Serge Boutin would have been buried alive by Charles Lassonde and Lana Dubois
The jury was able to hear the version of the facts from Lana Dubois, ex-spouse of the accused, on the sordid night and the atrocious end that they allegedly subjected the victim to in July 2021.
The ex-wife of Charles Lassonde, who admitted her participation in the crime and who pleaded guilty to a reduced count of manslaughter, has been testifying against her ex since Tuesday. His account of the night of July 6 to 7, 2021 sowed consternation in the courtroom.
To take revenge on the victim Serge Boutin, whom the couple suspected of wanting to attack them in several ways, they searched for him for a few hours in the Val-des-Sources area, in Estrie, before finally finding his trace.
Lassonde allegedly told his partner at the time that Serge Boutin, whom everyone nicknamed “Bibitte” in this trial, wanted to rape her, had stolen her cell phone, had made a duplicate key to their car in order to steal them and more. It is not clear at this stage whether these elements were founded or not.
Charles Lassonde and Lana Dubois allegedly kidnapped him, tied him up, wrapped him in plastic, before burying him alive in the middle of the night.
“Charles saw a cavity on the side of the road,” said the witness, Lana Dubois, with tears in her eyes. I stopped the vehicle, left the lights on. It was the lighting that there was,” she began.
“Charles asked Bibitte to lie on his back, he took out a shovel. There was a cavity and there was a kind of small earthen wall. He took some dirt from the low wall and started throwing dirt on his face,” said Lana Dubois. Part of the scene was reportedly filmed.
The victim, who had placed her own sweater on her head, probably as a bandage, then asked to place this sweater over her mouth and eyes, to avoid getting dirt on these places. Lassonde would have instead gone to get a roll of plastic to spread it in the hole where the victim was still located, before starting again to throw earth on him. Dubois would then have installed pieces of wood on the ground to recognize the location in the future.
They would have returned to the crime scene the same day
Lassonde and Dubois allegedly went to do a cleaning round at a daycare, a few minutes after burying the victim. A few hours later, in the morning, they returned to the site where the victim was, near a quarry.
“I had hope – this may seem silly to you – I had hope that he had been able to push himself out of there, that he was still alive, that he had been able to escape. […] When I returned to the scene and saw that the antlers were still in place, I noticed that he was dead, that he had not escaped after all,” Dubois explained to the 14 jurors.
-Charles Lassonde and Lana Dubois were both arrested in a Victoriaville business on August 1, 2021, a few weeks after the crime.
Lana Dubois’ credibility undermined
The accused’s ex-spouse, an “important” witness according to the Crown, saw her credibility undermined on several occasions during cross-examination. The accused’s lawyer, Mr. Martin Latour, hit the target several times and Lana Dubois seemed to change her ideas and answers on many occasions, in addition to becoming impatient and increasing her hesitations.
Lana Dubois notably admitted that she once failed to reveal important information in a jury trial when she was a teenager. She then testified for the Crown against her father who was accused of murder. He was ultimately acquitted.
“When I decided to tell the truth, because all my life I had a shitty life, when I decided to take charge of myself and today to live a new life, no longer being in drugs, by no longer committing crimes, thefts, I am now 51 years old, it is time to become an honest citizen and to take charge of myself, that is what I do,” replied Ms. Dubois, which led to another exchange between her and Charles Lassonde’s lawyer.
“After a complete life of dishonesty and lies, there is a new Lana who has decided to be honest. Is that correct?” asked Me Latour. “Yes,” Lana Dubois simply replied.
Friday afternoon, Me Latour launched a question resembling accusations, alleging that Lana Dubois had “stooled” Charles Lassonde to “save [sa] skin”.
“I didn’t save my skin. I took my share of responsibility and pleaded guilty to manslaughter. I still did not wish for the death of my friend,” replied Lana Dubois, who reiterated that Charles Lassonde had turned her against his friend.
Already five days of trial
Monday, at the opening of the trial, prosecutor Stéphanie Landry warned the 14 jurors that an “abracadabrant” story awaited them.
Two first witnesses had been heard. Johanne Boutin, the victim’s sister, shed several tears, particularly when she recounted the disappearance of her brother. She also gave her DNA to the police to identify her body.
Crime scene technician and Sûreté du Québec police officer, Christian Quentin, also came to testify, as did François Rossignol, major crimes investigator.
The accused, who wears a beard and a long ponytail, has listened attentively to the testimonies since the beginning of the week. Lassonde regularly takes notes in a large notebook, sometimes nods to certain responses from witnesses, and occasionally glances toward the courtroom. Members of his family attended some of the days this week.
The trial will continue on Monday. In total, the Crown plans to call around fifteen witnesses over five weeks.
