Man previously acquitted in Tina Fontaine murder arrested in Ottawa

The man who was acquitted of second-degree murder in the death of Tina Fontaine is now behind bars in Ottawa. 59-year-old Raymond Joseph Cormier has been arrested after an alleged string of break and enters.

By Alex Karpa

Posted March 26, 2021 5:57 pm.

Last Updated March 26, 2021 6:39 pm.

A man acquitted in the 2014 murder of a First Nations teenage girl has been arrested in Ottawa for allegedly breaking into numerous apartment buildings dating back to mid-January.

Police say 59-year-old Raymond Joseph Cormier targeted apartments, parking garages, mail and storage rooms in four residential apartment buildings in Ottawa. According to records, Cormier appeared in an Ottawa court Friday morning for a bail hearing.

Back in 2015, Cormier was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, whose body was found in a bag in Winnipeg’s Red River on Aug. 17, 2014. A jury found Cormier not guilty of Fontaine’s death in 2018.

Her murder remains unsolved.

Fontaine’s murder helped spark a national debate on the fate Indigenous women and girls, and eventually led to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Submit a Correction
Accessibility Feedback

Top Stories

'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73
'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73

Murray Sinclair, who was born when Indigenous people did not yet have the right to vote, grew up to become one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy. A...

4h ago

Final suspect wanted in Shelby Hayward murder investigation arrested, Winnipeg police say
Final suspect wanted in Shelby Hayward murder investigation arrested, Winnipeg police say

Winnipeg police say a suspect wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the death of 30-year-old Shelby Dawn Hayward has been arrested. Hayward was reported missing in November 2023 after last...

4h ago

‘A Canadian hero’: Tributes pour in for Murray Sinclair
‘A Canadian hero’: Tributes pour in for Murray Sinclair

“A beam of light that cut through injustice” and “a Canadian hero and friend.” Those are some of the many ways the late Murray Sinclair, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission...

3h ago

Mining agreement could bring hundreds of jobs to Manitoba
Mining agreement could bring hundreds of jobs to Manitoba

An agreement years in the making will see a Manitoba community become the owner of mining rights and properties valued at almost a billion dollars that will bring 500 jobs to the region.  The Norway...

2h ago

Top Stories

'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73
'The best that we can be': Indigenous judge and TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73

Murray Sinclair, who was born when Indigenous people did not yet have the right to vote, grew up to become one of the most decorated and influential people to work in Indigenous justice and advocacy. A...

4h ago

Final suspect wanted in Shelby Hayward murder investigation arrested, Winnipeg police say
Final suspect wanted in Shelby Hayward murder investigation arrested, Winnipeg police say

Winnipeg police say a suspect wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the death of 30-year-old Shelby Dawn Hayward has been arrested. Hayward was reported missing in November 2023 after last...

4h ago

‘A Canadian hero’: Tributes pour in for Murray Sinclair
‘A Canadian hero’: Tributes pour in for Murray Sinclair

“A beam of light that cut through injustice” and “a Canadian hero and friend.” Those are some of the many ways the late Murray Sinclair, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission...

3h ago

Mining agreement could bring hundreds of jobs to Manitoba
Mining agreement could bring hundreds of jobs to Manitoba

An agreement years in the making will see a Manitoba community become the owner of mining rights and properties valued at almost a billion dollars that will bring 500 jobs to the region.  The Norway...

2h ago

Most Watched Today

2:06
Bombers and Jets fans excited for what’s ahead
Bombers and Jets fans excited for what’s ahead

Excitement is through the roof for Winnipeg Sports fans as the Blue Bombers officially clinched the West Division, and the Jets return home on an 8-game win streak. Neve Van Pelt reports.
3:01
Winnipeg Comiccon Day 3: Special Guest Interview
Winnipeg Comiccon Day 3: Special Guest Interview

CityNews reporter Joanne Roberts sat down with Buffy the Vampire Slayer star, James Marsters, on the last day of Winnipeg Comiccon.
2:42
U.S. congressional, down-ballot races important to watch too: experts
U.S. congressional, down-ballot races important to watch too: experts

While there has been an intense focus on the U.S. presidential races, politicians and political experts say congressional, state and local election races are just as important. Nick Westoll reports.

15m ago

2:47
What the U.S. election could mean for Canada’s economy
What the U.S. election could mean for Canada’s economy

From tariffs to trade, Canada has a lot at stake in Tuesday’s U.S. presidential election. Caryn Ceolin goes one-on-one with Canadian ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman about how Ottawa is preparing for either a Trump or Harris presidency.

18m ago

2:28
Feds announce draft emissions cap
Feds announce draft emissions cap

The federal government says oil & gas corporations will need to have emissions 35% below 2019 levels, in 2030. It's drawn opposition from both the business community & opposition parties.

1h ago

More Videos