Sudbury murder suspect finishes testimony, denies involvement in stabbing death
Tuesday afternoon, the Crown accused Robert Steven Wright of stabbing Renee Sweeney to death following a struggle inside the Adults Only Video store in January 1998.
Wright, 43, who has repeatedly denied killing Sweeney, is on trial in Sudbury for second-degree murder in the case.
Sketch of Robert Steven Wright on witness stand as he is cross-examined by the Crown attorney during his murder trial in a Sudbury courtroom March 14. Wright's second-degree murder trial was delayed again Monday due to COVID-19. (Sudbury artist Tarun Godara)
He testified Monday that he came upon Sweeney’s body the morning she was killed after he finished an exam at Lockerby Composite. Wright said he checked her for vital signs, but panicked and fled when someone else entered the video store.
But Crown prosecutor Rob Parsons put forward a much different scenario.
“I'm going to suggest to you, Mr. Wright, that you made your way down from Lockerby Composite to the Adults Only Video on the date in question, you went inside the store, a struggle ensued with Renee Sweeney -- a struggle that quickly grew violent. What do you say to that?” Parsons said.
“I would say it’s not true,” Wright said.
Parsons said Sweeney fought back, defending herself as much as she could, requiring Wright to respond with “extreme violence.”
“Renee Sweeney fought back to the point that you panicked, and got yourself to the point you had to kill her to get out of that store,” he said.
“That’s not true,” Wright said.
Parsons said Wright then stole porn magazines and sex toys, using his teal jacket as a bag to hold them.
Wright also denied that allegation, insisting the only thing in the jacket was his gloves.
This is photo of the stained teal jacket that Brian McRury and his canine Oakey discovered during the track on Jan. 27, 1998. (Supplied)
Parsons then said Wright decided to take money from the cash, where his fingerprint was found on the top and underneath the tray.
“You are actually committing theft at that point,” he said.
“It’s not true,” Wright replied.
Wright said he remembered touching something near the counter to brace himself but has no memory of the cash tray.
“I touched something,” he said. “I did not hold myself up.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Parsons also questioned Wright on his timeline of events. His exam ended around 11 a.m., but Wright wasn’t sure if he finished early, what time he arrived at his locker or how long it took him to walk to the AOV store, which was a roughly seven-minute walk.
“You’re still in that store for six minutes, on a very generous count,” Parsons said.
“That’s your suggestion,” Wright said, adding he didn’t know how long he was in the store but estimated two minutes.
"It's more than 25 years ago, sir. I can't give you any more specifics."
Considering her wounds, Parsons said it appears Sweeney fought back and the struggle lasted longer than the two minutes Wright said he was there.
'I WAS NOT INVOLVED'
“It sounds like a struggle that may have happened, but I was not involved,” Wright said.
After Wright completed his testimony, a statement was read into the record from Kim Sweeney, Renee’s sister.
In the statement, Kim Sweeney said Renee told her a few months before the murder that she was worried she was being stalked.
She said her sister was taking precautions, such as driving around the block to see if she was being followed before going home.
Kim Sweeney also said she went to Renee’s apartment after she was killed and found several hang-up calls on her phone from a blocked number.
She had also recently taken up kickboxing, Kim said, and was a very independent person who “would not go down without a fight.”
The final witness Tuesday was Catherine Gratton, who was a clerk at the AOV outlet on Lasalle Boulevard at the time of the murder.
Gratton said she considered Sweeney a friend and they hung out socially on occasion.
“We went out a few times, talked on the phone,” she said.
SWEENEY THOUGHT SHE WAS BEING FOLLOWED
Gratton testified Sweeney told her on a few occasions in December 1997 that she thought she was being stalked.
“Renee had mentioned that on a couple of occasions that she had been followed home after work,” Gratton said.
“It made her nervous ... She didn’t quite elaborate. There had been a few incidents that had happened. She stated she felt like someone was following her.”
“She felt she was being followed?” asked Crown assistant attorney Kevin Ludgate.
“Yes,” Gratton said.
“She didn’t actually give you an account of anything she saw or heard or experienced?” he asked.
“Correct,” she responded. “She told me that she felt she was being followed.”
Court recessed after Gratton’s testimony and will resume Wednesday morning. CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca digital content specialist Darren MacDonald will continue to follow the case from inside the court room and provide daily updates.
Find all of the previous trial coverage here.
Background
The brutal stabbing death of 23-year-old Renee Sweeney rocked the City of Sudbury to its core on Jan. 27, 1998.
Police searched for her killer for two decades and finally charged Robert Steven Wright, who was 18 years old at the time of the murder. He has been held in jail since his arrest in Dec. 2018.
After several delays, the trial began Feb. 21, 2023, just after the 25th anniversary of Sweeney's death.
CTV News Digital content producer Darren MacDonald is bringing the latest from the courtroom every day and will have full coverage of the trial here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.