Prosecution Seeks to Use Criminal History in 1996 Montreal Murder Case
In a significant development at the Montreal courthouse, the Crown is pushing to introduce the criminal past of Serge Audette as evidence in the trial concerning the 1996 disappearance and presumed murder of Patricia Ferguson. Audette, now 72, faces a manslaughter charge in connection with the case that has remained unresolved for nearly three decades.
Pattern of Depression Following Violent Crimes
On Monday, prosecutor Pierre-Olivier Bolduc presented arguments before Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos, highlighting what he described as a disturbing pattern in Audette's behavior. According to the prosecution, Audette consistently experienced major depression and suicidal thoughts following incidents of sexual violence against women.
This pattern includes his admission to the Philippe Pinel Institute on June 26, 1996, less than three weeks after Ferguson disappeared on June 6 of that same year. The hospital specializes in treating and evaluating criminals with mental health issues, and Audette was reportedly treated for what medical professionals diagnosed as a major depression at that time.
"You can make the following inference," Bolduc told the judge during proceedings. "If a major depression and suicidal thoughts were present on June 26, 1996, it is possible to infer they were present on June 6, 1996."
The Disappearance of Patricia Ferguson
Patricia Ferguson was just 23 years old when she vanished from the Pointe-aux-Trembles neighborhood of Montreal. Originally from Sept-Îles, she had been living in an apartment building close to where Audette resided on Notre Dame Street East at the time of her disappearance.
According to trial testimony, Ferguson left her infant daughter with a babysitter who lived in the same building as Audette before heading to his apartment. This would be the last time anyone saw Ferguson alive, and her body has never been recovered.
The babysitter testified that she later discovered a note stuck to her door that appeared to be from Ferguson. The confusing message stated: "I went out to eat. I went to my sister's." However, as Bolduc pointed out during proceedings, "Patricia Ferguson had two sisters. She didn't leave to see either of them in 1996."
Parallels to Previous Criminal Behavior
The prosecution drew attention to striking similarities between the 1996 case and Audette's previous criminal activities. Bolduc noted that when Audette first sexually assaulted a woman on June 24, 1984, he wrote a note attempting to explain the victim's relatively brief disappearance.
"Both notes were false paths," the prosecutor argued, suggesting that the note found after Ferguson's disappearance followed the same pattern of deception Audette had employed in previous crimes.
Despite Audette's existing criminal record for violent sex crimes at the time of Ferguson's disappearance, he was not investigated in connection with her case until 2022. This investigation only began after a reporter working on a documentary raised questions about possible connections. Audette was formally charged with manslaughter at the Montreal courthouse in 2023.
Testimony from Former Inmate
During the trial, a convict who served time with Audette provided testimony under a publication ban protecting his identity. According to this witness, Audette appeared stressed after Montreal police first questioned him in 2022 about Ferguson's disappearance.
The convict testified that Audette told him Ferguson was supposed to have sex with him in exchange for cocaine, but she refused, and that the night "did not end well." The witness further stated that Audette claimed Ferguson would never be found.
"He reacted after he was refused sex from Patricia Ferguson. It did not end well," Bolduc summarized. "That is what is in evidence."
Historical Context and Investigation Gaps
The trial has revealed significant gaps in the initial investigation. Ferguson's aunt reported her missing on June 8, 1996, and Montreal police opened an investigation that same day. The aunt provided a statement indicating she believed her niece disappeared between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on June 6.
Remarkably, Audette's name does not appear in the summary of that initial investigation, despite his proximity to Ferguson and his established criminal history at the time.
Additional evidence presented includes testimony from a Quebec government employee who stated that Ferguson stopped receiving welfare benefits weeks after her disappearance because she ceased signing the required statements to continue receiving assistance.
Medical History as Potential Evidence
The prosecution emphasized that Audette's 1996 hospitalization was neither the first nor last instance of such behavior following violent crimes. Records indicate he was treated for suicidal thoughts in 1983 after actually attempting to end his life, then again in 1987 and 1998 following sexual assaults against women on February 25, 1987, and July 27, 1998, respectively.
Bolduc argued that this consistent pattern of depression and suicidal ideation following violent acts against women should be considered as relevant evidence in understanding what may have occurred during Ferguson's disappearance.
The trial continues with proceedings scheduled to resume on Tuesday as Judge Galiatsatos considers the prosecution's request to admit Audette's criminal history as evidence in this long-delayed case.
