Life with no chance of parole for 15 years.
That's the sentence handed down to James Desmarais for the choking death of a young woman at a Flin Flon hotel more than three years ago.
On Thursday night, jurors found Desmarais, 48, guilty of second-degree murder in the Oct. 31, 2011 killing of Raylene Dawn Grant, 21.
Sentencing followed on Friday afternoon, but given the automatic life sentence for second-degree murder, the only question was how long Desmarais would have to wait for parole eligibility.
Desmarais was not eligible for parole for at least 10 years and as many as 25 years. The judge settled for a midway point of 15 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 Free Press reported that autopsy results showed Grant died of asphyxiation after being choked with something, possibly hands and/or a ligature, and that she had head injuries consistent with being punched.
The evidence against Desmarais had long appeared damning. In 2013 the Crown prosecutor at the time successfully filed for a direct indictment in the case.
That cancelled a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the evidence supported the second-degree murder charge, opening the door for a trial.
Desmarais had been in custody in The Pas since his arrest the day after Grant’s death. He made multiple court appearances before jury selection in his trial began Feb. 3.
The 12-member jury sat five days before entering deliberation on Thursday. Shortly after 9 pm that night, they rendered their verdict of guilty.
Sources say Desmarais had moved to Flin Flon from another community, though it’s not clear when. He operated a computer repair business.
See our print edition this Wednesday, Feb. 18 for more on the case.
