It was an emotionally-charged day in Regina Court of Queen’s Bench as the jury delivered its verdict in the trial of a man accused of beating his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter to death in June of 2012.
The jury began its deliberations in the second-degree murder trial of 34-year-old Adam Cyr during the noon hour yesterday. Shortly before 10 a.m. today, they returned a guilty verdict in a trial that has lasted almost four weeks.
Amanda Trevors clutched a photo of her two-year-old daughter, Natalia Shingoose, as the jury delivered its verdict. There were shrieks of joy and applause when Cyr was declared guilty.
Cyr lived with Trevors in June of 2012, when her daughter was beaten to death. Natalia suffered multiple severe blows that broke bones and caused internal bleeding.
Trevors says the trial was on ordeal but she says justice has been done for her daughter.
“It was the hardest thing ever, but I can tell you the reason that I am here is for my daughter, Natalia. I loved her, I was a wonderful mother and I still am. You know, to explain to my 10-year-old son that his sister is never coming back — at least today, me and her father can go home and say, ‘You know what, Natalia got her justice’.”
Bob Hrycan is the lawyer for Adam Cyr. He says he was shocked by the verdict and immediately announced the decision would be appealed. During the trial, Hrycan suggested Cyr was framed by Amanda Trevors, and the real killer was a close friend of hers who came into the family home at about 3 am on the day Natalia was found dead. Hrycan says the prosecution’s case was weak at best.
“They had no evidence, they had no physical evidence showing he did this. They had no motive. The only thing they had was opportunity — and other people had opportunity, including an individual with multiple convictions on his record for significant violence.”
Cyr sat impassively in court, hunched over, with his head in his hands after the jury delivered its verdict. He appeared to be crying. Sentencing arguments are scheduled for May 1. Second-degree murder carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 10 years. The jury declined to make a recommendation on how long Cyr should serve before being considered for release.