Calgary man who fatally stabbed woman as she walked to work guilty of 1st-degree murder

The man who fatally stabbed a 30-year-old woman in downtown Calgary as she walked to work has been convicted of first-degree murder, despite his lawyers arguing for a verdict of not criminally responsible (NCR). 

Michael Adenyi, 29, killed Vanessa Ladouceur, a woman he'd never met, on March 18, 2022. 

Ladouceur's mother, who has been in court every day of the five week trial cried quietly as the verdict was read. 

• Good Samaritans tried to save woman attacked by stranger, jury hears on Day 1 of murder trial

Jurors heard that on the morning of the attack, Ladouceur was walking to her downtown job as a fitness instructor when, armed with a knife, Adenyi followed her for two blocks before he body-checked her into an alcove and stabbed her to death.

Adendyi admitted that he attacked Ladouceur, but his lawyers argued he should be found NCR because he was suffering hallucinations at the time of the killing and couldn't understand that his actions were morally wrong.

After hearing five weeks of evidence and arguments, jurors were sequestered Friday afternoon and returned their verdict Saturday night around 8 p.m. 

• 'Planned and deliberate': Crown says man in stabbing death knew what he was doing

When testifying in his own defence, Adenyi told jurors that he believed he was attacking a creature when he stabbed Ladouceur. He said that he believed he had to attack or risk being killed himself.

Defence lawyers Kim Ross and Curtis Mennie also called Adenyi's mother as a witness. She testified that her son was experiencing hallucinations and feared animalistic creatures months before the fatal attack.

• Mother of Calgary murder suspect details his hallucinations months before attack

Since the fatal attack, Adenyi was diagnosed with schizophrenia and is now on anti-psychotic drugs.  

Prosecutor Carla MacPhail asked jurors to return a murder conviction, asking jurors not to believe Adenyi's claims that he was hallucinating when he attacked Ladouceur.

MacPhail argued Adenyi planned and intentionally killed Ladouceur.

A first-degree murder conviction comes with an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for at least 25 years. 

Court of King's Bench Justice Jane Sidnell will hear sentencing arguments at a later date.