Day two of the second degree murder trial of Grace Robotti included testimony from the officer that was in charge of the scene where Roxanne Louies body was discovered.
Day two of the second degree murder trial of Grace Robotti included testimony from the officer that was in charge of the scene where Roxanne Louie's body was discovered.
68-year-old Robotti is on trial for the second degree murder of 26-year-old Louie on January 4, 2015 in Penticton. Louie was the mother of Robotti’s great-grandson, and she and her son were staying at Robotti’s house for a visit at the time she was killed.
Constable Michael Desmond testified Louie's body was found on a dirt hill, off a road in Naramata on January 12, 2015. Her body was covered in snow and there were several blood stains in the area.
“We did notice that there were some discolorations on her arms, and her hands, some markings on her legs,” Desmond said “I say discoloration, it appeared bruised but it was more red in nature. There was a few scratches I noticed at the time”
Louie was found wearing only a pair of capri pants and a tank top.
The jury was also shown video footage of a police interview Robotti gave on January 9, 2 days before she was arrested.
In the video, Robotti tells Constable Kelly Grant she hasn't seen or heard from Louie since January 4 and she is eventually escorted from the police detachment.
When testifying in court on Wednesday, Constable Grant told the jury he ordered the arrest of Robotti and her brother, Pier Robotti on January 11, following an interview with two witnesses that he says turned the investigation from a missing person case to a homicide.
Grant also revealed details in Louie's police profile, which was put together when she was missing. It shows Louie had been involved in two assaults, however charges against her were stayed.
Another witness called by the crown was Amanda Daniel. She met Louie on New Year’s Eve and saw her nearly every day before Louie was killed.
She said the last time she saw Louie was on January 3.
“There was something that seemed to be bothering her. She wanted to go see her son” Daniel said.
Daniel dropped Louie off at Robotti’s house that evening.
On day one of the trial, Robotti admitted to killing Louie with a crowbar and plead guilty to interference with a body, however plead not guilty to the second degree murder charge.
The trial is scheduled to continue until mid-April.
Pier Robotti has already faced trial, however details are under a publication ban until Robotti's trial wraps up.
