More than three years after the murder of a woman in a Saint-Hyacinthe shopping center, the trial of a former baseball player was again postponed at the last minute after the courtroom was filled with disorganization .
“We will not be able to end this chapter. It’s discouraging to continually present the case,” confides Yves Boulay, spouse of the victim, Manon Savoie.
This fall, the farmer rushed to finish work on his fields so he could attend the jury trial against Marc-André Houle, which was to begin Monday in Saint-Hyacinthe court.
The victim Manon Savoie
Photo taken from Facebook
“We were happy, it was finally happening,” adds Mr. Boulay
No more delays
Remember that Houle, 46, is accused of the premeditated murder of Manon Savoie, a sixty-year-old woman he did not know, in a shopping center.
This day in August 2021, the mother, close to retirement, was simply having the battery in her watch replaced in a jewelry store when she was stabbed to death.
Marc-André Houle is also accused of attempted murder, armed assault, vehicle theft and escape.
Marc-André Houle, accusato
For the second time since the start of the procedure, the trial which was to have opened was finally postponed. A first trial scheduled for last January was postponed because the expert opinions were not ready.
“It’s boring. This is one of the worst cases and has not yet been resolved. I don’t understand,” declared Yves Boulay.
“It drags on. When will we have justice? » declared Marie-Ange Chicoine, the victim’s mother, discouraged.
Insults and threats
This time the question of the fitness of the accused was raised. The former Major League Baseball prospect was disorganized all over the field. He suddenly became aggressive and uttered insults and threats.
After a psychiatric evaluation, however, the court concluded that Houle is still fit to stand trial despite his behavior.
Adding to the delays, his lawyer, Me Fannie Lacroix filed a motion to cease representing him, which was accepted by the court. Marc-André Houle will therefore have to find new lawyers for the continuation of the legal proceedings.
He was already a baseball star in Quebec, which even led to him being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. Hope then experiences a brutal descent into hell, falling into drugs and living on the streets for many years.
