WATCH ABOVE: A troubling email sent to a mental health worker details how a Lago Lindo woman was killed before her house exploded June 2010. Laurel Gregory reports.
EDMONTON – “Before I knew it I had choked her to death,” read an email from Dwayne Poirier dated June 20, 2010.
The email was revealed during the second day of the fatality inquiry into the Lago Lindo house explosion.
The email was sent to Poirier’s mental health worker at 1:31 a.m.
The subject line was “I lost it!” The email – unedited and in its entirety – read:
“On sat afternoon I came back to house so has me and cathie could go through and divide property. I got hre in the afternoon to do this and she was putting up the gazbo and asked if I would help. I did. As this was happening we argued yet again. I stayed till it was done and fell asleep on couch while she had shower. I awoke and went to get something to eat and she asked for popcorn. I said ok and returned and ate and went to sleep down stairs so we could discuss things in the morning so as we both could move forward. I was trying to sleep when cathie would come downstairs and argue with me and saying 95 % of the belongs were hers and that I should get out now and she called police to have me removed and she would say that I tried to rap her and that I would go to jail.
“I grabbed my suitcase and duffle bag as to leave when cathie tried to gab my bag and said I was a rapist and a thief. As she grabbed for the bag she also grabbed my right and and scratched it and thats when I hit her and through her off. All I could see was her smug look at the court house laughing at me saying I was going to jail. I could not stand the site of this and went blake and before I knew it I had choked her to death! Iam sorry for what I did and could not live with myself. Between the stress at work and the stress she caused me I should have stayed away has I snapped with her and Iam deeply sorry to everyone! Dwayne poirier I cant beleive I took a life! The disappointment I have caused my family is unbearable for me!”
Four people were found dead in June 2010 following a massive house explosion in a north Edmonton neighbourhood.
On Monday, a fatality inquiry into the blast began.
(Global’s Laurel Gregory is at the inquiry. You can follow her coverage in the live blog below.)
Edmonton homicide detective Dan Collins was one of the people to speak at the inquiry Tuesday.
He was a primary investigator to arrive on scene on June 20, 2010 following the blast.
“The murder – it’s unequivocal that that did take place at the hands of Mr. Poirier… he’s responsible for that,” said Collins.
“The findings though, as far as how he actually succumbed … we know it was smoke inhalation by the cause of death, but it was undetermined whether it was accidental or suicide.”
“You can’t rationalize irrational behaviour.”
Police already determined that Poirier, 46, strangled his common-law wife Cathie Heard, 47, in their Lago Lindo home, then the house exploded.
“Ms. Heard was wrapped in a carpet and duct tape,” said Collins, “and Mr. Poirier’s fingerprint was found on that duct tape. No other fingerprints were found.”
On Monday, Heard’s father George Robinson described a verbally abusive relationship between his daughter and Poirier.
“I suggested to her to get out of the relationship before she got hurt,” said Robinson. “We see and hear enough of relationships where there’s abuse… where the verbal abuse just goes on to violence.”
Collins said there were no police calls to the Poirier/Heard home for family violence between May 2009 and the June 2010 explosion.
Heard’s physician, Dr. Michelle Semenjuk, said her patient told her about verbal issues with Poirier.
“From what I had seen, it was not a healthy relationship.”
Semenjuk saw Heard on June 18, just two days before she was found dead. The doctor said Heard didn’t give any indication of relationship problems during that visit.
Two men who lived next door – Craig Huber, 29, and Brad Winter, 26 – were also killed by the blast.
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