‘I thought he was trying to kill me’: Trial begins for crime spree that shocked city

More than two years after the tragic killing of 22-year-old Taylor Marshall shocked the city, a trial has begun for the man accused in her violent death and for the attempted murder of Liam Frenette on Sault Ste. Marie’s boardwalk.

The accused, Steven Jones, appeared in person in a Sault Ste. Marie courtroom on Monday to face the charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder for events that occurred on Sept. 7, 2023.

Jones was dressed in a blue polo shirt and grey pants.

Wearing glasses with his dark hair cut shorter than when he was pictured at the scene of the stabbing, he pleaded not guilty during his appearance.

The trial was initially scheduled to be heard over eight weeks before a jury, but was cut to four weeks when his defence lawyer Andrew Furgiuele re-elected for a trial by judge alone.

In his instructions to the approximately 24 people in the body of the court, Justice Michael Varpio noted that a murder trial is “a very difficult and emotional thing in any event,” and invited anyone overwhelmed with what they hear to exit the courtroom.

At the outset, assistant Crown attorney Trent Wilson laid out the basic direction of his case, including some details on the final moments of Marshall’s life.

Wilson said Marshall died as a result of sharp and blunt force injuries and suffered in excess of 100 stab or cut wounds, as well as acute blunt force trauma to her head and brain.

Wilson said Frenette received more than 20 knife wounds, including to his face, throat, chest, abdomen and arm.

The majority of day one of the trial was dedicated to events surrounding the violent boardwalk stabbing, with Frenette being the first of eight witnesses to testify.

He testified he had walked to Station Mall on Sept. 7, 2023 to take some money out of the ATM before attending the Dollarama store to purchase a candy bar and energy drink.

After that, he left the mall through the Galaxy Cinemas entrance and made his way to the boardwalk to sit on one of the benches.

Frenette said he felt his head suddenly jerk back as he was attacked from behind. Initially, he thought he was being punched but realized his attacker was holding a knife.

He said he had blood in his eyes, but did not recognize his attacker. He assumed in the moment that he was bring attacked in a case of mistaken identity.

“When I got grabbed I yelled: ‘I don’t know you,'” Frenette said on the witness stand, adding that his attacker ran off as bystanders approached to check on him.

Wilson played a short video of the violent attack that was recorded by a witness who was inside her car near the assault.

Frenette identified himself in the video and pointed to Jones in the prisoner box when asked if the attacker was in the courtroom.

The attack was already in progress when the video started, with Frenette visibly bleeding, sitting on the ground before being pushed to his back and slashed by his attacker.

Asked what was going through his head at that time, Frenette said: “I thought he was trying to kill me.”

Frenette said bystanders helped him and a Sault Ste. Marie police officer was quickly on scene providing assistance, which included applying a tourniquet to his arm. Paramedics arrived soon after and took him to Sault Area Hospital.

By the time he was loaded into the ambulance, Frenette said his memory started to become fuzzy and he eventually lost consciousness. He spent about a week in hospital and said some of his more serious physical injuries took six to eight months to heal.

In cross-examination, defence lawyer David Hakim asked Frenette about the portion of his testimony where he said that Jones “ran off” after the assault. He played the video of the attack one more time for Frenette to show that Jones let go of him before turning around and walking away out of frame as the bystanders approached.

Wilson then called witnesses to the stand who at the scene during the attack or attended to offer assistance to Frenette.

Jacob Chapman, who works in Station Mall, testified that he was in the parking lot when he witnessed the attack, which he initially thought was a fist fight before realizing it was “much more violent than that.”

Wilson showed the video of the attack to Chapman as he was on the stand.

Chapman said he was screaming for them to stop as he ran toward the victim, while simultaneously calling 911. He noted that Jones ran off as he and other people approached.

In cross-examination, Hakim asked Chapman about the portion of his testimony where he said the attacker ran off. He then read off a transcript of the 911 call in which Chapman told the operator that the attacker was “walking towards the mall.”

Hakim continued reading from the transcript, in which Chapman was heard saying to Frenette: “I got you, buddy.”

Wilson then called Cst. Christopher Doran of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service to the stand. Doran is the officer who first came across Jones after the attack in a nearby loading dock at the former Walmart store at the mall.

Doran said he was nearby in his patrol vehicle when the call came in about a possible stabbing on the boardwalk.

He said he was flagged down by mall security, who pointed him in the direction of Jones at the nearby loading dock.

Surveillance video was shown of Doran pulling up to the end of the loading dock, exiting his vehicle and drawing his firearm before three other officers joined him.

Jones was initially shown to have his hands in the air when Doran arrived on scene. Doran said Jones initially did not comply with his order to stay where he was, instead walking 30 to 40 feet toward the officer before eventually dropping to his stomach with his hands to his sides.

He was read his rights by Doran and told he was under arrest for assault.

Doran said Jones did give his name when asked, but replied “you can figure it out” when he was asked for his date of birth during the arrest.

A pair of bloody shoes and a backpack were among the items recovered in the loading dock.

After Jones was taken to the police station for booking, Doran was instructed to once again read Jones his rights and inform him he was being charged with attempted murder.

Jones was then taken to hospital in a police cruiser for the treatment of an injury to his hand.

The trial continues on Tuesday.