Brandon court hears closing arguments in trial of woman accused of murder in cousin's death

CBC News

· Posted: May 23, 2025 8:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

The proceedings of a pistillate accused of sidesplitting her relative successful December 2022 heard closing arguments Friday, with the defence saying the accused acted successful self-defence portion the Crown argued she's blameworthy of second-degree murder.

Rennie Kristyna Williams, 28, is charged with second-degree execution successful the decease of her cousin, Naomi Hope Williams, 26, who died successful Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

On Friday, defence lawyer Robert Harrison told the the Court of King's Bench successful Brandon his lawsuit acted successful self-defence connected Dec. 9, 2022. He described Rennie Williams arsenic a peacemaker who wanted to forestall a combat with her relative from escalating into violence.

Harrison cited grounds by his lawsuit who said Naomi Williams had thrown a sheet successful Williams's look earlier successful the evening.

"I didn't privation to commencement thing due to the fact that maine and my relative ne'er fought before, truthful I didn't privation it to pb to that," Harrison told the court, recounting his client's testimony.

However, a combat started that ended erstwhile Rennie Williams stabbed her cousin.

Harrison argued successful the extremity his lawsuit was near with nary different prime but to stab her relative aft the combat escalated due to the fact that she was acrophobic for her life, adding that drugs and alcohol, including methamphetamine, were factors successful the fatal events.

Crown Brett Rach countered that Rennie Williams was the lone idiosyncratic to attest that she had tried to support the peace. He argued her mentation of events lacked credibility and that her complaint should not beryllium reduced to manslaughter.

Rennie Williams was the aggressor and her relative became her people that night, Rach said, culminating in Williams stabbing her relative successful the thorax with a weapon Rennie owned. He pointed to inconsistencies successful Williams's testimony, including conflicting accounts of the country wherever the stabbing occurred.

"There is nary crushed to judge that the mode that things happened is however she said it happened," Rach said. "There's nary aerial of world to self-defence is the Crown's presumption successful that Ms. Rennie Williams created the situation — she created the catalyst, her motive was not defensive."

As well, Rach said, the suspect admitted to stabbing her cousin, but did not question assistance and disposed of evidence.

Justice Elliot Leven has asked some lawyers to assistance his ruling by uncovering cases wherever the engagement of drugs and intoxicant led a complaint of second-degree execution to beryllium reduced to manslaughter. His  determination is expected successful July.