A Calgary judge ruled that the police statement of a deceased woman, identified as LM, who alleged she was kidnapped, drugged, and sexually assaulted by Richard Mantha, is inadmissible in his trial. The ruling was based on concerns over the statement's reliability and the inability for the defense to cross-examine LM due to her tragic death in December.
Dead woman's police statement not admissible in trial of alleged serial rapist
CalgaryStewartRoyal Canadian Mounted PoliceJustice Judith ShriarRichard ManthaKidnappingAssaultTrialsCrime
AI Summary
TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A Calgary judge ruled that the police statement of a deceased woman, identified as LM, who alleged she was kidnapped, drugged, and sexually assaulted by Richard Mantha, is inadmissible in his trial. The ruling was based on concerns over the statement's reliability and the inability for the defense to cross-examine LM due to her tragic death in December.
Trending- 1 April 2022: LM allegedly kidnapped, drugged, and sexually assaulted.
- 2 About a year later: Mantha investigated by Calgary police; Staff Sgt. Shelby Stewart learned of LM's interaction with RCMP.
- 3 December (2024): LM died in a tragic accident.
- 4 Last month (May 2025): Prosecutor Dominique Mathurin played LM's video-taped statement to police.
- 5 Friday (June 6, 2025): Justice Judith Shriar ruled LM's statement inadmissible.
- 6 July (2025): Trial continuation.
- The alleged victim's statement cannot be used as evidence in the trial
- Potential impact on the prosecution's case against Richard Mantha
What: A judge ruled a deceased alleged victim's police statement inadmissible in the trial of Richard Mantha, who faces 20 charges related to sexually assaulting seven women.
When: Published June 6, 2025; Friday (ruling date); Last month (prosecutor played video statement); December (LM died); April 2022 (LM's alleged assault); About a year later (Mantha investigated by Calgary police); July (trial continuation).
Where: Calgary, Alberta, Canada; East of Calgary near Langdon (location of quonset hut).
Why: The judge ruled the statement inadmissible due to concerns about its reliability (LM spoke with other women about the case) and the defense's inability to cross-examine her after her death.
How: The judge made a legal ruling during the trial. LM gave a video-taped statement to police.