The long-awaited trial of a Montreal man accused of killing his young neighbour nearly three decades ago, in a case where the victim's body was never found, opened at the Montreal courthouse on Monday, January 19, 2026.
A Daughter's Heartbreaking Testimony
The prosecution's first witness was Sabrina Ferguson, the now 30-year-old daughter of the victim, Patricia Ferguson. Sabrina was just a baby when her 23-year-old mother vanished on June 6, 1996. Adopted by her great-aunt, Sabrina told the court she grew up not knowing if her mother had abandoned her or met with foul play.
"I have no memory of the woman," Sabrina Ferguson stated in response to a question from prosecutor Pierre-Olivier Bolduc. She described a childhood filled with uncertainty, where relatives could offer no answers. "I really wanted to know if she abandoned me or if something happened to her and she could not come back," she testified, wiping away tears with tissues.
Charges Laid After Decades
The accused, Serge Audette, 72, faces a charge of manslaughter. He was charged in the spring of 2023, but the case only reached trial this week after a request for a stay of proceedings was rejected by Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos.
Audette is alleged to have killed his neighbour, Patricia Ferguson, on the day she disappeared in 1996. Her case was not investigated as a homicide until October 2022. The prosecution asserts he disposed of her body in a manner that left no trace.
A Dangerous Offender's Criminal Past
The court heard that Serge Audette has a significant criminal record, including convictions for three violent sexual assaults on women in 1984, 1987, and 1998. In each case, he threatened the victims with a knife. The alleged killing of Ferguson is said to have occurred between the second and third assaults.
Following his 1998 conviction, Audette was declared a dangerous offender and received an indefinite sentence. The trial, focusing on events in the Pointe-aux-Trembles district of Montreal, continues as the Ferguson family seeks closure after almost 30 years of anguish and unanswered questions.
