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Warning: This story contains details which may be upsetting to some readers.
The second day of the murder trial for Michael James Robertson opened with testimony from the police officer who found Rocky Genereaux, 37, suffering from a stab wound back in March 2015.
Saskatoon police alleged that Robertson has ties to the Indian Posse street gang shortly after his arrest in April 2015. Armed plainclothes officers wearing bullet-proof vests were stationed outside the courtroom at Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench Tuesday.
Inside, Constable Jeff Johnsgaard said he was serving as an acting sergeant the night of March 12, when he responded to a call of an injured person at 439 Avenue I South shortly before midnight.
He told court that when he got to the home, his first impression was that it was some sort of mischief or prank call. Several people were moving about the house, with no one showing any immediate signs of injury. Johnsgaard said Genereaux was standing all of 1.5 metres away from him when he entered the living room.
“He was the calmest person in the house,” Johnsgaard said.
Johnsgaard said he asked who was hurt, and Genereaux lifted up his shirt, revealing a stab wound with what Johnsgaard estimated was three-and-a-half pounds of small intestine hanging out of it.
Johnsgaard said he laid Genereaux down on a couch, directing other officers who were arriving at the scene to bring a First Aid kit. He said Genereaux’s condition started deteriorating, as it became clear he was having trouble getting air and he began drifting in and out of consciousness.
Johnsgaard told court he sent an officer to the hospital with Genereaux after paramedics arrived. He said Genereaux was dead by the time he arrived at the hospital himself.
As he dealt with the procedures for turning the body over to the coroner, Johnsgaard said he saw that the wound on Genereaux’s torso was only about two-and-a-half inches long, but quite deep.
Next to testify was Melissa Kishayinew, Genereaux’s roomate. She said she was looking after her pet cats in the kitchen when Genereaux came home, went into his room and closed the door.
She said Robertson was in the living room, along with three other people.
Kishayinew testified that she heard noises and swearing after Robertson went into Genereaux’s room. She said she went to the door to see what was going on and fell over as Robertson came rushing out carrying a knife. She told court Robertson ran out the back door of the home and took off.
From there, she said Genereaux came out with his hands over his shirt, holding his stomach where he’d been stabbed.
Several of Genereaux’s family members in the gallery burst into tears as the Crown played the tape of Kishayinew’s call to 9-1-1. In it, several voices could be heard in the background as Kishayinew pleaded with the dispatcher to send help quickly.
Genereaux could be heard yelling for a glass of water at one point. At another, he could be heard saying “why did you guys let him do that?”
The Crown alleges that Robertson stabbed Genereaux during an argument over a cell phone SIM card.
In the 9-1-1 call, Genereaux could be heard saying “I don’t know nothing about no phone card,” as could his girlfriend.
Kishayinew testified that before the incident, she heard Robertson speaking on the phone with his cell service provider about a SIM card.
Robertson is charged with second-degree murder. His trial is scheduled to run until June 24.
