The murder trial of a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) contender opened this week in Laval, with prosecutors immediately highlighting the accused's background in mixed martial arts as a key element for the jury to understand.
Charges and Courtroom Admissions
Edouardo (Icho) Larenas, 45, is charged with the second-degree murder of a teenage boy nearly four years ago. His partner, Gladys Rosana Lopez, faces a charge of being an accomplice after the fact to murder. The victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, was 16 years old—four months shy of his 17th birthday—when he was killed on May 24, 2022.
His body was discovered by Laval police inside the couple's residence on Place du Cormoran. The cause of death was stabbing.
The Role of Mixed Martial Arts
On Wednesday, prosecutor Marie-Philippe Guimond formally introduced Larenas's history as a professional fighter to the court. She explained to jurors that mixed martial arts (MMA) is a regulated combat sport where athletes utilize techniques from various disciplines.
"Mixed martial arts combats are sporting events where the athletes can use different techniques from martial arts," Guimond stated, noting it is a legal sport with rules encompassing skills from karate, judo, wrestling, and boxing.
According to the UFC's official records, Larenas competed in the organization in 2006 and 2007, securing a professional record of three wins and two losses.
The Prosecution's Narrative and Unanswered Questions
Another prosecutor on the case, Geneviève Aumond, outlined the evidence for the jury while cautioning that some questions may remain unresolved. "Often, the prosecution's evidence doesn't answer all the questions," Aumond said.
She noted the evidence does not reveal how the victim came to be inside the accused's home nor does it establish a prior link between them. However, Aumond asserted the evidence will prove Larenas stabbed the teen and that Lopez subsequently attempted to assist her partner.
The prosecution's timeline, supported by surveillance footage from neighboring homes, indicates two individuals—neither of whom was the victim—entered the residence at 8:45 p.m. on the night in question. The Crown alleges this was a home invasion. The same two people were recorded leaving just after 11 p.m.
Larenas and Lopez were recorded leaving their home after 1 a.m. Laval police later located and arrested the couple at an address on Ste-Rose Blvd. The trial is expected to last a month and will feature testimony from approximately a dozen witnesses.
