february 6th, 2007 › briscoe-laboucan trial › nina courtepatte › deadmonton 2005 › deadmonton › edmonton

WARNING

Nina Louise Courtepatte, 13, died from blunt force trauma on April 3rd, 2005.

Charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault were Michael Erin Briscoe, now 36, Joseph Wesley Laboucan, now 21, and three teens not identified by provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

One male teen, aged 19 and nicknamed "Pyro", pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in youth court in Stony Plain on December 8th, 2006. He was to be sentenced as an adult in April 2007.

Briscoe's girlfriend, now 19 and named "Cindy" in this narrative, went to trial March 12th, 2007. Pyro's girlfriend, now 17 and nicknamed "Buffy", had a trial date set for May 1st, 2007.

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Crime scene evidence continued to be introduced as Alberta’s chief medical examiner took the stand.

Dr. Graeme Dowling has worked as a pathologist for over 20 years.

Nina Courtepatte’s mother fled the courtroom as Dowling matter-of-factly detailed the injuries that killed her daughter in April 2005.

Dowling said he performed the autopsy two days after Nina's body was found and described the girl as 5-feet 3-inches tall and weighing 112 pounds.

“She was quite small and had a slight build.”

He testified Nina's skull had caved in – the result of receiving from up to fifteen head blows.

“There was one area on the right side of the skull measuring four inches across that was caved or pushed in,” he said.

Her brain was damaged with skull bone exposed, her lower jaw was broken and her teeth were knocked out of alignment.

In addition, her face was covered in lacerations.

“If I look at the totality of the injuries and look at the injuries to the right side of the head and brain, I don’t believe it would be a survivable injury.”

“This individual died as a result of her head injuries, blunt cranial trauma,” Dowling said.

“Once the totality of these injuries occurred, she was unconscious immediately and death would have occurred within minutes.”

Earlier testimony from several witnesses said Nina was struck in the groin with a sledghammer. Buffy told the court she could hear Nina's bones breaking.

However, Dowling said he saw no injuries in that area, adding it was possible but highly unlikely that no injuries would be visible.

“The likelihood of finding injuries would be very high,” he said.

Dowling suggested it was highly unlikely bare fists caused the injury to Nina's head although a foot with a shoe on it was a possibility.

He also found bruising and marks on Nina's hands and forearms.

“They would be consistent in location with defensive injuries,” he testified.

Dowling also said there was a shallow stab wound on the lower side of her jaw and two cuts on the neck so superficial they barely pierced the skin.

During the medical testimony, Briscoe and Laboucan showed little emotion.

They remained as they have been throughout the trail, watching from extreme opposite ends of the prisoner's box.

Outside court, Dr. Graeme Dowling summarised his testimony for media cameras.

"The nature of this young woman's injuries was such that I don't believe they would be survivable, probably in spite of the best medical care that could be given."

"I don't think she would have survived and I felt it was reasonable to estimate that she would be unconscious probably immediately and dead shortly thereafter – probably a survival time of not more than a few minutes."

The trial continued with the often referred to Pyro taking the stand.

The youth, who was 17 in April 2005, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in youth court in Stony Plain on December 8th, 2006.

In contrast to the notoriety preceding him, Pyro was a thin and studious looking young man, weaing glasses, a T-shirt and jeans when he appeared in the witness box.

He was shorter than expected, with dark, slicked-back hair, and he impressed those in the gallery with his self-assured manner of speaking and matter-of-fact tone.

The teen testified he had never met Nina before the day she was killed.

On April 2nd, 2005 Pyro and his girlfriend Buffy ran into Laboucan, Briscoe and Briscoe's girlfriend Cindy.

Their day was spent driving around, eating at McDonald's, dining and dashing at a Humpty's and hanging around West Edmonton Mall.

While at the mall, the group ran into another teenaged boy – referred earlier in this narrative as Brent Doe – who asked them what they were up to as they were driving around in Briscoe's car.

“Joe whispered something in his ear and then he started freaking out,” Pyro testified.

Brent wanted out of the car pronto, Pyro said, so the group dropped him off at his mother's house.

It was after midnight when Briscoe drove the group back to the mall. Pyro told the court Laboucan said he was going inside to get someone.

Moments later, Laboucan and Cindy came back with Nina and her friend Jane Doe.

Pyro said when they all got into the car there was talk of going to a party.

Briscoe drove west into the country and stopped the car near a gate that led to a field.

Briscoe opened the car's trunk, according to Pyro, and then they headed into the field.

Apparently not informed of Laboucan's deception, Pyro asked Buffy where the party was.

“She told me there wasn't one,” he testified.

“I asked her, ‘What does she mean?' She didn't answer.”

It was at that point Cindy punched Nina in the face and knocked her down, Pyro testified.

Cindy explained that Nina was “pissing her off.”

Laboucan then held Nina from behind and whispered in her ear.

“She freaks out. She starts screaming.”

According to Pyro, Briscoe handed Laboucan a wrench.

Laboucan then got on top of Nina and pressed the tool against her throat while her head was on the ground.

Pyro claimed it was then that Buffy told him what was ultimately going to happen.

“She was saying [Nina] was supposed to die. That's the first time I heard it.”

Laboucan pulled down Nina's pants and raped her. Pyro said he too had intercourse with the girl.

Asked by John Watson, the Crown prosecutor, how that happened, Pyro said, “I don't know.”

After a long pause he added, “It happened.”

Watson then asked what followed.

"Joe handed me a sledgehammer and said 'Do it.' ”

"What did that mean to you?" asked Watson.

"What Buffy had said – that she was supposed to die," he replied.

“I hit Nina two times in the head.”

"Joe comes over and starts hitting Nina with the wrench."

Pyro said Briscoe then came over and hit her in the head a few times with the sledgehammer.

Buffy followed and stabbed Nina in the neck with a knife.

The teen was asked if he had hit Courtepatte anywhere else with the sledgehammer. Pyro said he didn't know.

As the group left, Pyro said he wasn't sure if Nina was dead.

On their way back into Edmonton, Pyro told the group he was hungry.

"I wanted to grab some food," he said.

Stopping at a Boston Pizza, he ordered pizza bread.

Pyro's testimony deviated somewhat from the Agreed Statement of Facts read into court at his trial on December 8th, 2006.

In the statement, Pyro said the group heard at the Humpty's restaurant that Laboucan had "formulated a plan to kill someone."

At the time, Laboucan said he wanted a female because he desired to have sexual intercourse with her first.

It was on this point Pyro was questioned many times, but he testified he didn't recall the conversation.

The teen's testimony also indicated Briscoe played a greater role than was suggested in earlier statements by Jane Doe, Buffy and Cindy.

The trial continued February 7th, 2007

A list of persons named in this case can be found at the bottom of the main Briscoe-Laboucan trial page.

deadmonton 2005 - nina courtepatte - briscoe-laboucan trial - february 6th, 2007