Raymond Cormier found not guilty

Trial prompts inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women

Content warning: sexual assault of a minor, anti-indigenous racism

On February 22, Raymond Cormier was found not-guilty of the murder of 15-year old Tina Fontaine, an Indigenous teenager whose body was found in a river in August 2014.

The jury, composed of seven women and four men, deliberated for 13 hours and announced the verdict thursday around five in the afternoon. The acquittal of Cormier for second-degree murder comes two weeks after Gerald Stanley was cleared of charges for the murder of Colten Boushie.

Cormier, 56, arrested in 2015, went to trial without a preliminary hearing. The spokesperson for the Criminal Defence Lawyers’ Association of Manitoba described the case as “thin,” as no incriminating forensic evidence or eyewitnesses had been produced by the prosecution.

However, according to the Crown Prosecutor, Cormier admitted to sexually exploiting the teen, then murdering her when he found out that she was a minor. The transcription of Cormier’s recorded conversation states, “15 year old girl fuck. I drew the line, and that’s why she got killed. [...] It’s right on the shore. So what do I do? Threw her in.”

In response to the evidence, Cormier’s defence lawyers argued that the statements in the transcripts could not be verified, suggesting the possibility for other suspects.

The decision has sparked public outrage, prompting multiple marches and vigils across Canada, as well as continued calls for a national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Written with material from CBC news and CTV news.