Ex-wife of accused killer testified that murder victim told her she was pregnant

Editor’s Note: The following story contains graphic descriptions heard in court that may not be suitable for some readers.

A witness in connection with the 1994 murder of a young woman in her apartment remained defensive Tuesday as he was questioned by a defence lawyer for a second day in a Barrie courtroom.

Witness Paul Daigle, 56, described being inside Katherine Janeiro’s West Dunlop Street home shortly after she was found stabbed to death on Oct. 10, 1994.

The trial entered its seventh day Tuesday as it delves into a three-decade-old homicide that left the young mother dead.

Robert MacQueen, now 61 and also known as Bruce Ellis, is on trial for second-degree murder in Janeiro’s death. None of the charges against him have been proven in court.

Daigle testified that he was living in Newmarket at the time of Janeiro’s death and had recently known William Theakston, nicknamed Woody. Theakston was the local president of the Para Dice Riders motorcycle club and lived in Innisfil in 1994. Daigle also testified that he had known Theakston for about six months at the time of the homicide.

Daigle testified Monday that he spent Thanksgiving Monday with Theakston and his girlfriend, enjoying dinner with another friend.

He testified that the three had been drinking, but he had not been drinking, so Theakston asked him to drive him to run errands, such as picking up money from two houses owned by “friends,” and then to go to Janeiro’s house to get cough syrup, which contained codeine to get high, as well as cannabis, which was in Janeiro’s apartment.

Defense attorney Mary Cremer continued to pressure Daigle on the stand, again suggesting that he and Theakston were responsible for the homicide.

Daigle continued to insist they had nothing to do with the woman’s murder.

He testified that all they did in the apartment was wipe down “everything we touched,” which included doorknobs, knobs, the kitchen table where he sat and part of the toilet he used.

As the hearing began Tuesday, Daigle, who appeared uncomfortable on the stand, stopped his statements and exhaled heavily, appearing to have difficulty breathing. The judge interrupted the proceedings to ask him if he was okay and if he could continue his testimony.

Daigle responded that he felt sick, but would be able to continue.

Cremer suggested using the contents of two shampoo bottles found in the bathtub to help clean the tub of blood after Janeiro’s death, then moving her body to the bedroom where she was later discovered.

“No,” Daigle replied.

Cremer also suggested that Daigle and Theakston removed items from Janeiro’s apartment, such as the large pill bottles, after the murder.

“I don’t think so,” Daigle replied flatly.

Neither man bothered to call 911 after finding her body, the court heard.

“She was practically dead,” Daigle testified.

He agreed with Cremer when she suggested that their first priority was to eliminate all traces of their presence in the apartment so that they would not be blamed for Janeiro’s death.

Daigle testified the two men left the apartment and went to a local bar. That’s when Theakston called his lawyer for legal advice. The couple turned themselves in to Barrie police several hours later.

The next witness to be cross-examined Tuesday was Karen Unger, Robert MacQueen’s ex-wife, known as Karen Ellis at the time of the killing.

Robert MacQueen is also known as Bruce Ellis. His surname at birth comes from his biological father, but he took the name Bruce Ellis when his mother remarried.

Unger testified that she believed her then-husband was more than just friends with Janeiro, but MacQueen repeatedly denied having a sexual relationship with the young woman.

Unger said she had never known Janeiro until a specific incident at a downtown Barrie bar two or three weeks before she was killed. That was around the same time that MacQueen ended his relationship with the young woman, Unger said.

Unger testified that Janeiro told him she was pregnant and that the father was believed to be MacQueen or possibly another man.

Unger said his “shocked” response to Janeiro during that brief encounter was “no, that’s not possible – he’s had a vasectomy”, which was a lie, the court heard.

The two men never spoke to each other before or after that date, she testified.

Unger said he heard a rumor that MacQueen and Janeiro both had AIDS.

MacQueen flew into a rage, telling his wife it was a lie, and “his whole body was vibrating” with anger and frustration.

The defense will continue its cross-examination of Unger on Wednesday.

The trial is expected to last seven weeks.

At the time of Janeiro’s death, police said she had been stabbed multiple times. Her two-year-old daughter had been visiting family members at the time of the killing.

The court heard that the last time Janeiro had contact with anyone was around 4am on October 10, 1994. His body was discovered by a friend around 7pm that night.

The court had previously heard from the Crown that MacQueen had been in a relationship with Janeiro while he was married and living nearby on Dunlop Street.

MacQueen was initially charged with first-degree murder in January 2021, more than 26 years after Janeiro’s body was found in his apartment. The charge was reduced to second-degree murder following a preliminary hearing in December 2022. He was released on bail in July 2023.

According to information published by the former Barrie ExaminerJaneiro’s body was found lying on the ground, covered in blood and with scratches on her face. She had been frequenting several bars in the city center most of Sunday night and early Monday morning before her body was discovered.

Janeiro left home at age 16 and moved to Barrie. A year later, she gave birth to a daughter. About 10 months before her death, Janeiro had moved into the Dunlop Street apartment with her young child.