A judge has reserved his decision in the case of a woman serving life in prison for the gruesome killing and dismembering of a Calgary physiotherapist, who is trying to get out of prison early.
Deborah Point is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder with no chance of parole for 20 years.
A hearing was held Tuesday under the so-called “faint hope clause” to have a judicial review of her parole ineligibility.
READ MORE: Woman convicted in gruesome murder requesting early release
The hearing isn’t to re-try the case, but rather to find out if she should stay in jail for her full sentence.
Point is convicted of killing her former roommate Audrey Trudeau.
Trudeau disappeared in February 1999.
Five months later, her body was found in a southwest Calgary garage, dismembered. It had been put into cardboard boxes.
She had been stabbed 15 times in the back of her head.
Point was arrested two days after the disturbing discovery.
The motive was believed to be over sex or money.
Point has now been in custody nearly 17 years. She maintains her innocence.
That is one of the issues Alberta Chief Justice Neil Wittmann will need to consider when deciding if the case should now go before a jury.
It’s also one of the biggest reasons the Crown is opposed to the application.
“She’s never moved on that since the beginning,” said Point’s defence lawyer, Alain Hepner.
The National Parole Board has previously denied Point escorted temporary absences.
In a 2012 decision, the board wrote:
“You deny being responsible and have maintained this position since arrest. Given…your unwillingness or inability to be honest…and your rationalizations and justification of your behaviours…the board finds your risk to be unacceptable.”
Chief Justice Wittmann reserved his decision Tuesday.
If he grants her application, the case would then go before a jury. A final decision would be up to the National Parole Board.
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