Boardwalk stabbing victim released from hospital

A fundraiser for Liam Frenette — the victim of a brutal stabbing on the Sault Ste. Marie boardwalk — has been launched to help offset medical expenses for family members while he receives health-care services at home after receiving life-threatening injuries in the random attack.   

The organizer of the GoFundMe campaign, Jeremy Swyers, confirmed with SooToday that Frenette was discharged from hospital within the past 48 hours. Swyers, who works alongside Frenette’s father at a local business, launched the fundraiser in order to help out a “really good family.”   

“They’ve got to pay for homecare for Liam now, he’s got a nurse coming in,” said Swyers. “For me, it’s the last thing you should have to worry about, having to pay to keep his son healthy.” 

No details on the extent of Frenette’s injuries are being disclosed by the family.  

“I would like to get word out there that there is a fundraiser to help them out, but at the same time, I’d like to respect their privacy and not rehash it,” said Swyers, of the family's request for privacy. “His dad is back at work to get his mind off of it.”  

Frenette’s alleged attacker, Steven Jones, has been in custody at Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre since his Sept. 7 arrest.

The 25-year-old is facing two separate charges: one for the murder of 22-year-old Taylor Marshall and another for the attempted murder of Frenette on Sault Ste. Marie’s boardwalk.

Jones was arrested near the scene shortly after the boardwalk assault. A few hours later, police were called to an address on John Street where Marshall's body was discovered.

The allegations against Jones have not been proven in court. His next court appearance via video remand court is scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. 

Swyers said he was worried for Frenette and his family when he learned of the attack because of the “uncertainty of what was going on.” 

“Nobody had details of what was happening, so really it was a lot of worry for the family,” he said. “I was upset that something like that could happen to somebody just randomly.”

- with files from Kenneth Armstrong