Victim feared for her safety, says friend

Murder trial told of relationship issues

Brandon Smeltzer, 27, hung his head low, with his eyes down, as he appeared before the Cornwall court via Zoom on Tuesday morning to hear testimony from a close friend of the woman he killed.

Smeltzer admitted killing Maheu in a court appearance in 2018, but has denied plotting to take Emilie Maheu's life in advance and is therefore contesting the charge of murder in the first degree. Crown prosecutors Elaine Evans and Isabel Blanchard are attempting to prove Smeltzer purposely tried to hide his travels to Maheu's Alexandria residence and manipulated her into getting into his vehicle in order to carry out his attack before driving her body to another location, where a farmer later found her remains.

Judge Laurie Lacelle heard testimony Tuesday from a close friend of Maheu's, Karina Quesnel.

Maheu, 26, from Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, and Smeltzer had moved to Nova Scotia to be closer to his family while they raised their baby, Elizabeth. The couple were having financial difficulties, the court heard, and their relationship grew progressively worse under the stress.

Quesnel said the couple fought frequently, with Smeltzer often cursing and verbally attacking Maheu. Once, she recalled, Smeltzer struck Maheu behind the leg, bruising her, and shoved her.

“(Maheu) was very concerned, at that point, for her safety and Elizabeth's safety,” Quesnel said.

At Christmas, Maheu had returned to SDG to see her family and didn't want to leave. When Smeltzer returned to Bayside, Maheu and their child did not go with him.

“She was just happier in Ontario. … Her family and friends were down here,” Quesnel said. Maheu stayed about a month longer.

After Maheu returned to Bayside, the conflicts continued.

At first, Maheu considered staying in Nova Scotia so Smeltzer could see their child regularly. Quesnel said Maheu complained that Smeltzer rarely helped her with child care.

Quesnel said she came home from vacation to news that Maheu was back in SDG and would be staying for good.

Smeltzer would go back and forth between wanting Maheu to return so he could see his child and telling Maheu he wanted nothing to do with either of them, court heard.

On Oct. 4, 2018, about a week before her disappearance, Maheu texted Quesnel to say Smeltzer said he had Stage 4 prostate cancer. The alarming news came with a note that Smeltzer was trying to pay down debts, including to Quesnel, although she did not receive any payment.

In the morning after Maheu's disappearance, Quesnel recorded a phone call she had with Smeltzer, who said he was in Nova Scotia and that he hated Maheu, and called to say he had nothing to do with her disappearance.

Quesnel said she learned Smeltzer had shown up at Maheu's house, unannounced, on the day she disappeared.

The trial continues Wednesday.