Jury trial begins for suspect in killing of Calgary woman in downtown coreon March 31, 2025 at 3:54 pm

The jury trial for the suspect in what police say was the random murder of a Calgary woman in the downtown core is set to commence Monday following several delays. Read More

The jury trial for the suspect in what police say was the random murder of a Calgary woman in the downtown core is set to commence Monday following several delays. Michael Adenyi is charged with first-degree murder in what police say was the random killing of Vanessa Ladouceur, who was attacked around 6:40 a.m. on

Ladouceur for feature — Supplied photo of Vanessa Ladouceur, who was killed on March 18, 2022, as she walked to work in downtown Calgary.

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The jury trial for the suspect in what police say was the random murder of a Calgary woman in the downtown core is set to commence Monday following several delays.

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Michael Adenyi is charged with first-degree murder in what police say was the random killing of Vanessa Ladouceur, who was attacked around 6:40 a.m. on March 18, 2022 in the 100 block of 10 Ave. S.E.

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Ladouceur, 30, was stabbed and found unconscious, according to police. She died a short time later from her injuries.

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Adenyi was originally set to stand trial beginning in October 2023, but that hearing was adjourned because a defence witness was unavailable.

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Defence counsel Kim Ross appeared in Calgary Court of King’s Bench last August to reschedule Adenyi’s jury trial to commence March 31.

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Adenyi was to face a jury beginning Sept. 9, but Ross was granted permission to delay the hearing after indicating he was still recovering from February surgery and wouldn’t be able to handle a major trial “of this kind of complexity” that soon.

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Crown prosecutor Carla MacPhail noted at the time the case was already at the limit established by the Supreme Court for criminal matters to make their way through the courts, but Ross waived any delay from the Sept. 9, date to next spring.

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Ladouceur’s death was a catalyst for a series of initiatives to make the city’s downtown core a safer, more welcoming place.

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In March 2024, a task force tabled its report at city hall following six months of consultations with 40 downtown business, social agency and community members on making the city’s core a more inviting, safer destination.

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Among the 28 recommendations of the Downtown Safety Leadership Table were more efforts to address the root causes of crime and social disruption, keeping the downtown in better repair, establishing a police station in the city’s core and closing parts of the Plus-15 networks it says have become magnets for crime.

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Adenyi has been in custody since his arrest the day of Ladouceur’s death.

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More to come…

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