Robotti guilty of 2nd degree murder

Grace Robotti is guilty of murdering Roxanne Louie, the jury decided late Thursday night after a full day of deliberations.

Robotti, 67, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of Louie, a 26-year-old member of the Osoyoos Indian Band, the mother of her greatgrandson.

Robotti admitted to killing Louie by hitting her in the head repeatedly with a crowbar, but she pleaded not guilty to murder.

Her trial began March 21 in Kelowna Supreme Court.

The jury began deliberations Thursday morning and delivered its verdict at 9:15 p.m., finding Robotti guilty of second-degree murder.

On Jan. 4, 2015, Robotti and Louie got into a heated argument about the care of Louie's threeyear-old son.

The argument turned physical after Louie threw a small crowbar in Robotti's direction, hitting the wall a couple of feet away.

Louie picked the crowbar up off the floor, and Robotti grabbed her arm in an attempt to get it away from her.

Robotti ended up on top of Louie on the floor, straddling her, and proceeded to hit her in the head with the crowbar about 26 times. Louie died a short while later. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.

Robotti then told her brother Pier to get rid of the body, which he dumped in a wooded area near Naramata.

Grace and Pier were both arrested on Jan. 11, when they went into the Penticton RCMP detachment to turn themselves in.

Pier Robotti appeared in court last month before a judge alone.

The details of his trial have not yet been released.

Robotti, who is currently out on bail, will reappear in court on April 18 for sentencing.