Catherine Dufresne’s trial postponed

by ADMIN on NOVEMBER 24, 2011

Sophie Fitzpatrick, shown here at a Chelsea Nordiq event in 2009, was killed Oct. 22. Her adopted mother Catherine Dufresne has been charged with her murder. LD file photo

Catherine Dufresne of Chelsea, Quebec will not be in court today. The 53-year-old accused of killing her seven-year-old adopted daughter Sophie Fitzpatrick was supposed to appear before a judge Nov. 24, but according to Gatineau Crown Attorney Sylvain Petitclair, the 30-day psychiatric assesment she was ordered to undergo has not been completed yet. Petitclair told the Low Down that the trial has been moved to sometime in December, although a date has not yet been confirmed.

Police arrested Dufresne and charged her with first-degree murder after they found Fitzpatrick’s body at the family’s home in Kingsmere Oct. 22.Dufresne was also injured with what were believed to be self-inflicted, non life threatening wounds. Dufresne has since spent her time in a psychiatric facility, awaiting trial. The father, Murray Fitzpatrick, who came across the horrific scene, has been cleared of any wrong doing. Police have withheld the results of the young girl’s autopsy and will continue to do so until the trial begins. Pick up this week’s Low Down to find out how the community has been coping since the tragedy.