A Flin Flon man found guilty of murdering a young woman in a local hotel room will receive a life sentence.
Jurors last night found James Desmarais, 48, guilty of second-degree murder in the Oct. 31, 2011 death of Raylene Dawn Grant, 21.
Desmarais is due to be sentenced this morning. He has no chance of parole for 10 years. Parole eligibility can be denied for up to 25 years.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Desmarais didn’t deny strangling Grant but claimed he was too drunk to know what he was doing. He sought a conviction for the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Desmarais previously told The Reminder that he didn’t remember what happened the night Grant died. He also denied confessing to the Flin Flon RCMP.
But the Free Press quoted Desmarais as telling police, “I committed a murder and I want to turn myself in” and leading them to the Royal Hotel, where Grant’s body was found inside a second-floor room.
The jury reached its verdict shortly after 9 pm last night. The trial was held in The Pas.
The Reminder will have more on the case.
