Court sees police interview with Lake Street murder accused

During an interview with a city police detective after he was arrested for the murder of a woman nearly four years ago, Johnathan Townsend repeatedly refused to answer questions on the advice of his lawyer.

Jurors viewed a video Monday of the first part of the Aug. 10, 2013 interview with Staff Sgt. Tom Armstrong, the first Crown witness to take the stand at the Sault Ste. Marie man's homicide trial.

Townsend, 21, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the Aug. 8, 2013 death of 42-year-old Coreillie Bonhomme.

Her body was discovered that day in the bathtub of the young man's apartment at 379 Lake St.

Armstrong, the lead investigator on the case and a 19-year officer, arrested the accused for second-degree murder two days later at Sault Area Hospital.

The charge was upgraded to first-degree murder in September 2013.

Armstrong told jurors he was dispatched at 7:40 p.m. on Aug. 8 to the address, where he observed a large amount of blood on the walls and floors of an apartment unit, and the body of a woman in the bathtub.

A few hours later, at 12:40 a.m. on Aug. 9, after interviewing two people, he said he retrieved a computer bag, a black pack sack and a grocery bag from a car at the hospital parking lot.

The following day, Armstrong arrested Townsend and took him to the police station where he was booked and spoke to his lawyer, before the recorded interview took place.

At the beginning of his interrogation, Armstrong told Townsend he was an intelligent, polite young man, who had been described as a math genius.

"You're a smart guy, I want to hear from you what happened, from your standpoint," he said.

Townsend responded that his lawyer Jennifer Tremblay-Hall had advised him not to talk until after he had spoken with her — a response he gave numerous times as Armstrong continued to urge him to explain what had occurred because "you're the only person who knows what happened to her in your apartment."

Townsend often remained silent, not answering the detective's questions as he tried to find out what had "triggered this incident."

Armstrong got no replies when he asked Townsend if the woman had upset him or made him angry, what buttons she'd pushed and "what put you over the top and this ended up happening."

He told Townsend police had a mountain of evidence, including surveillance tapes from the apartment building, fingerprints and foot prints, and "I have no doubt in my mind you caused her death."

The one thing police don't know is why, Armstrong said, again asking if he wanted to tell his side of the story and again receiving no answer to his queries.

Armstrong then talked about Townsend's parents — his father discovered the woman's body — and about how upset they were and how they wanted to know "why their little boy did this."

"It's not knowing, that's what's killing them," he said.

"I'd like them to go to sleep at night knowing Johnathan is not a diabolical monster out there terrorizing people, but that things got carried away and something happened," Armstrong told him.

"I do care about my parents, but I also care about my own wellbeing and my lawyer advised me not talk about this until I talk with her," Townsend replied.

In her opening address at the beginning of the trial, assistant Crown attorney Heidi Mitchell indicated the prosecution intends to call up to 17 witnesses to testify at the two-week trial.

A surveillance tape from the apartment building, showing Bonhomme, a dancer, and Townsend entering his apartment and him later leaving alone, Skype messages, forensic evidence, the suspected weapon (a knife) and his statement are among the evidence the Crown will provide to the court, she said.

The trial, before Superior Court Justice Michael Varpio, continues Tuesday, with jurors slated to view the rest of Armstrong's video interview.