Barrie, Ont. man's trial begins in 1994 homicide of Katherine Janeiro

The trial of Robert MacQueen, aka Bruce Ellis, 61, charged with second-degree murder in the 1994 death of Katherine Janeiro, got underway Thursday in Barrie.

Ellis was arrested in 2021 after police said investigators received a tip. Initially charged with first-degree murder, it was later reduced to second-degree following a preliminary hearing.

Investigators have said Janeiro was found in her Dunlop Street West basement apartment stabbed several times, with cuts to her face and body. She was 20 and a mother of a toddler at the time.

Barrie police began the investigation into the homicide but turned the case over to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in 1999. However, after an extensive investigation that didn't lead to any arrests, the OPP returned the case to Barrie authorities in 2012.

Police say that hundreds of pieces of evidence and witness statements have been collected throughout the years as part of the cold-case investigation.

Investigators said Janeiro knew her attacker, adding there were no signs of forced entry.

In opening statements Thursday, the Crown suggested Ellis and Janeiro had been in a relationship that had ended sometime before her death, adding Ellis was married to another woman at that time and that he and his wife lived across the street from Janeiro.

The Crown also claimed forensic evidence from blood stains found in Janeiro's apartment would point directly to the accused.

The court heard several people had been in her apartment in the hours leading up to her body being found on the floor of her bedroom. Police at the time said Janeiro was involved in the drug trade.

In 2023, Ellis' defence lawyer, Mary Cremer, stated that her client "has always steadfastly maintained his innocence," adding, "He has a very loving and supportive family and a strong network of friends who are supporting him while he goes through the court process."

The allegations against Ellis have yet to be proven.

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