(HE)
FROM THE TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS--
A NOT GUILTY PLEA FROM
A WOONSOCKET MAN
ACCUSED OF MURDERING
A DISTANT-- 81 YEAR OLD
RELATIVE.
(MM)
AND WE FOUND OUT
----THE STATE HAS LET THE
COURT KNOW----
PROSECUTORS WILL BE
SEEKING A LIFE SENTENCE
WITHOUT PAROLE.
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR
WALT BUTEAU--
WITH THE DETAILS.
According to court documents,
Matthew Dussealt told police he
saw
his friend stab the victim. . .
But right now, Dusseault is the
lone
defendant.
21 year old Matthew Dussealt was
arrested about two years after
his
distant relative Constance
Gauthier
was found stabbed more than 60
times in her home.
The murder charges against
Gauthier's neighber, and
Dusseault's friend Tyler Grenon
were dismissed without
prejudice---meaning the state
would
be allowed to file new charges.
The dismissal document
states---there is insufficient
evidence to proceed against
Grenon
at this time.
According to a search warrant
Affidavit, Dusseault told police
he
saw Grennon stab Gauthier 1 or 2
times, with Dusealt saying he
tried
to push Grenon off Gauthier
during
the assault.
In the same document, police
stated DNA matching either
Dusseault or his maternal
grandfather was found at the
scene.
----------
Does Matthew understand his
rights.
Dusseault's mother told Target
12
her son had helped Gauthier on
multiple occasions, potentially
indicating the D N A could've
been
there before the assault..
And she said, on the night he
was
questioned, she told police
about
her son's learning
disability----that
includes an I Q of under 70.
-------------
My son does not understand like
the
average person. He is disabled.
--------------
I said he needs to be aware of
what
is being done. Not one person
acknowledged me. They said sit
down. We'll come get you.
Dusseault's attorney Michael
Leppezzera told target 12
today....while documents
indicate
police read Dusseault his
Miranda
rights---the law requires a
defendant
to have a knowing, voluntary and
intelligent waiver of his
rights.
Dussealt's mother doubts he
would've understood he had the
right to have an attorney ---
while he
was questioned by police.
Dusseault remains held without
bail
with a pre-trial hearing
scheduled for
next month, and a bail hearing
scheduled for April.
No comment today on the case
from Woonsocket police.
With the Target 12 Investiators,
Walt Buteau, EYEWITNESS
12 INVESTIGATORS ARE
TRACKING THE VERY
LATEST IN A GRUESOME
WOONSOCKET MURDER.
(MM)
THE LONE DEFENDANT IN
THE STABBING OF AN-----
81 YEAR OLD
WOMAN...HAS PLEADED
NOT GUILTY...
BUT THE STATE IS READY
TO SEEK ----THE MOST
SEVERE SENTENCE
POSSIBLE
(HE)
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR
WALT BUTEAU --- HAS...
...THE NEW DETAILS.
The state filed notice to seek
a sentence of life without
parole if Matthew Dusseault is
convicted.
Court documents indicate, the
21 year old went from
accusing a co-defendant...to
the lone defendant in the
2016 murder.
Matthew Dussealt...in court,
with
his mom watching from the front
row.
-----------
How do you plead? Not Guilty.
-------------
Paula Guathier says she and her
son are related to the victim
and
knew her...
She tells us, she's frustrated
by
many elements that have left her
son locked up without bail.
She told us Dusseault would not
have understood his Miranda
rights
with his lifelong learning
disability,
and an I-Q of less than 70.
She also questioned a Woonsocket
detectives statement in a search
warrant, that Dussealt's tattoo
of a
grave stone with the number 63
on
it, possibly connected him to
crime,
since according to the medical
examiner Constance Gauthier was
stabbed.an estimated 68 times.
Paula Gauthier says she has
proof
her son got the tattoo more than
a
year before the murder.
-----------
My son likes to get tattoos to
represent his mom, dad, family
history.
-----
Again, this has nothing to do
with
this crime.
-----------
Earlier this month, the murder
charge against Dusseault's
freind
and Gauthier's nieghbor Tyler
Grenon were dismissed without
prejudice due to insuficent
evidence.
Dusseault---who according to
court
documents---told police he saw
Grennon stab the victim, was
ordered held without bail this
morning, with hearings scheduled
next month and in April.
No comment from
Woonsocket police.
Gauthier also questioned
what happened with a lead
detailed in another court
document, filed months
before her son was arrested.
Those details are on
WPRI---DOT---COM.
With the Target 12
Investigators, Walt Buteau,
EWN.