More than two months after Catherine Todd was first reported missing, her body has yet to be found.
James Parise was charged with second-degree murder a few days later.
But if Todd’s body doesn’t turn up before Parise’s trial begins, will the Crown still have a strong case?
Kitchener lawyer Hal Mattson, who has defended many accused murderers, says he’s seen convictions in other cases where a body was not found.
“There have been a number of cases where they didn’t find the body. In a couple of those cases they had wiretap evidence,” he tells CTV.
“Sometimes it’s not difficult to prove that that person caused the death. The question is, did the person cause that death intentionally?”
Todd was reported missing from her Kitchener home on March 21.
Police spent six weeks searching the Waterloo Regional Landfill, expecting to find either Todd’s body or the cream-covered loveseat removed from her apartment.
The search was called off without success earlier this month.
Detectives say the investigation remains active, and the continued absence of Todd’s body is disappointing to both police and Todd’s family.
“We were really hoping to be able to make a recovery for their sake,” says Staff Sgt. Chris Downey.
“We’ve prepared as best as we can and we’re going to move forward.”
