A decade old police interview tape shed some light on the days leading up to Judie Thibault’s disappearance.
The second week of a murder trial involving accused Michael Kelly continued at the Thunder Bay Superior of Justice on Monday. Police charged Kelly with first-degree murder in connection to the death of his common-law partner Thibault.
The jury watched a lengthy video interview of Kelly that the Thunder Bay Police Service Det. Const. Don Hurd conducted on Nov. 24, 2000, a few days after Thibault was reported missing.
Kelly explained to Hurd that Thibault had a number of troubles in her life from tensions with family members as well as her work as a nurse.
He said the last time he saw her she was crying.
“I went in the other room to watch the Price is Right because she wanted to be alone,” Kelly said during that interview. “When I got back, she had her coat and purse and was going out and didn’t know when she would be back.”
Kelly said that Thibault enjoyed going out so it wasn’t unusual for her to be gone for a long period of time and not give an estimated time of return.
When she didn’t return, Kelly reported her missing and called everyone he could to find out where she was.
He did say, however, that he was suspicious because she wasn’t acting like herself.
“She wasn’t growling,” he said. “So I started counting the days. She never did say anything. She seemed very melancholy. She was very, very pleasant.”
Kelly described his relationship with Thibault as a loving one. Thibault had married twice before and the couple never gave the idea of tying the knot much thought, he said.
“The first couple of years it was hit and miss,” he said.
“We had our ups and downs. I use to drink a lot. I was still drinking when I met Judie. When I had a beer or two she would flip. She had a problem with alcoholic drinkers. She reformed me.”
He said her reaction to him drinking was most likely because of her second husband who he suspected was an alcoholic.
Kelly added he wasn’t interested in Thibault’s money.
“We’re not getting together because (she) got money,” he said. “We’re getting together because we like each other.”
Hurd later asked if Kelly had harmed or even murdered Thibault. Kelly replied no.
Throughout the interview, Kelly said he continued to believe Thibault was alive. He believed if she was anywhere, she would be at a cheap motel room, he said.
“I’m hoping and praying that she is safe and coming back to us,” he said.
After the video finished, Hurd himself took the stand and walked the jury through his investigation.
Hurd testified that at the time of the interview he never suspected Kelly of anything suspicious and only focused on trying to find Thibault.
One tip led Hurd to Nipigon when a driver passed a woman matching Thibault’s description. The lead turned up nothing.
Kelly’s lawyer Gil Labine pointed out that while the officer did talk to the man who offered a tip about Thibault possibly being in Nipigon, that conversation was over the phone and not face-to-face.
The trial is expected to last for another week.
