Denise Bourdeau showed up on her mother’s doorstep bruised and claiming she had been beaten by David Thomas, jurors at Thomas’ murder trial heard Tuesday.
Amy Miller testified that Bourdeau was once a lively and funny woman – qualities which disappeared after she began dating Thomas, who is charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death.
Bourdeau was last seen on Dec. 31, 2006, attending a New Year’s party at a Waterloo restaurant.
Multiple other attendees of that party have testified that Thomas and Bourdeau arrived at the party separately, but left together.
Months later, Bourdeau’s body was found on the banks of the Grand River.
Miller told jurors of an incident in summer 2006, when her daughter visited her in search of a place to say.
Bourdeau had bruises on her arm and neck, Miller testified, and said Thomas “wanted to kill her one time.”
Jurors heard that Bourdeau stayed with her mother for three weeks – although she would leave on weekends and return bruised, hurt and intoxicated.
Months later, the court heard, Miller was looking through a purse she had lent to Bourdeau when she came upon a letter her daughter had written, addressed ‘Dear Dave’ and dated July 2006.
In the letter, Bourdeau said she had to move out to help ‘Dave’ deal with anger management issues.
“I don’t understand how you can justify the continual hitting, throat grabbing, name calling and recently locking me in … just to torment me,” the letter read.
“(I could be wrong) but it did seem everything I did only angered you.
Later in the letter, Bourdeau wrote of frequent death threats – “I want to crush your skull … what’s 7 years for murder?” she claimed ‘Dave’ said – and pleaded with ‘Dave’ to give up alcohol.
Miller is the third person to testify about Bourdeau showing up unexpectedly and claiming abuse at Thomas’ hands.
A former coworker said the same thing happened to her in spring 2006, a friend testified that he took Bourdeau in days before her disappearance.
Thomas has pleaded not guilty.
