Man accused in girls’ deaths confronted by stepmom
The stepmother of Martha Jackson says she confronted Martin Tremblay and accused him of providing the drugs and alcohol that led to the teen’s death, but he denied any blame.
Connie Hernandez was testifying Friday in the trial of Tremblay, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal negligence causing death in connection with the March 2010 deaths of 17-year-old Martha and Kayla Lalonde, 16.
The two girls died of an alcohol and drug overdose after a night of partying at Tremblay’s Richmond home, court has heard.
It’s the theory of the prosecution that Tremblay, a serial sex offender, was responsible for the deaths due to his failure to call 911 or do anything to assist the girls.
Hernandez told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Bruce Butler that, a few days after her daughter’s death, she and her husband drove to Tremblay’s home to confront him.
Tremblay was initially sympathetic and invited them in to discuss the teen’s tragic death, said the mother of three.
When she asked what had happened to the girl, Tremblay pointed to the left of the front door and said, “This is where Martha passed away,” said Hernandez.
She asked him how Martha had died and Trembly told her that it was due to cardiac arrest.
“Did he say anything about how it happened?” asked prosecutor Michaela Donnelly.
“He said that they were drunk and that they came there drunk and he pointed to the table behind him and said that Martha and Kayla each had a half a line of MDMA and something else,” said Hernandez.
“What else did he say?” asked Donnelly.
“I continued asking him, how did this happen, how could he let young girls come to his house and do this?” she said.
“He said they brought alcohol and I continued telling him, ‘Why would you let these girls do this?’ I said, ‘You gave them the alcohol and you gave them the drugs.’”
Hernandez said that Tremblay’s tone changed and he claimed that the two girls had brought with them big bottles of alcohol.
“I told him, ‘Where would they get the money to buy these bottles?’”
The stepmom said that Tremblay told her he left at one point and came back to see Martha lying on the floor.
“He also said that he was asleep and when he woke up, he saw that Martha didn’t look well.”
Tremblay began to stutter as she pressed him for information and eventually ordered her and her husband to leave his home, she said.
Under questioning from Donnelly, Hernandez said that Tremblay also denied any involvement in the death of Kayla, saying the girl was angry and had left his home earlier on the evening of the deaths.
Tremblay told her that another man had driven Kayla away, she said.
“He said he didn’t drive because he’s blind in one eye and he has cancer and has only six months left to live.”
Kayla’s body was found on a Burnaby roadside, hours before the fire department and paramedics arrived at Tremblay’s home in Richmond and found Martha’s body.
Earlier in her testimony, Hernandez wept as she described seeing the troubled teen for the last time.
“It went very well,” she said, wiping the tears away with a tissue.
Hernandez said that, prior to her death, her stepdaughter had had difficulties and their relationship went downhill, with the girl placed in a foster home.
“She was rebelling and she started drinking and shoplifting and hanging around with a crowd we didn’t know.”
Angela Lalonde, Kayla’s mother, said that as a mother she couldn’t imagine how Hernandez felt testifying in court.
“I wanted to be here to support Connie. Being in court, it’s a very hard thing to do,” Lalonde said.
She added that she hopes that Tremblay “gets what he deserves.”
Tremblay was convicted in 2002 for drugging underage aboriginal girls and sexually assaulting them. He was convicted in February 2011 on drug charges and, after being released from jail in September 2011, he was re-arrested and charged with seven sex offences involving girls 14 to 19. His trial on those charges is scheduled for next year.