‘I Want Her Dead, D’: Closing Arguments Monday In Teen Murder Trial

Posted March 16, 2009 12:00 pm.

This article is more than 5 years old.

The jury heard the closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence Monday in the Rengel trial – and even though she never took the stand, some of the words came from the accused herself.

A 17-year-old girl known only as MT faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Stefanie Rengel, 14.

MT is accused of pressuring her boyfriend to stab the teen to death out of jealousy. She threatened to withhold sex if the boy, called DB in court documents, didn’t kill Stefanie. That young man, now 19, will stand trial for first-degree murder in October.

Rengel died New Year’s Day, 2008.

“MT was the driving force and mastermind behind this murder and she was never going to stop once she focused her heartless rage on Stefanie Rangel,” Crown prosecutor Robin Flumerfelt argued Monday.

Defence lawyer Marshall Sack countered that the Crown’s interpretation of the chats between MT and DB are simplistic.

“The facts are not in dispute. Stefanie was stabbed to death most probably by DB. Your function is the analysis and the interpretation of the chats.”

Flumerfelt repeated part of an online conversation where MT wrote, “I want her dead D. We’ve been thru this.”

MT’s obsession with Stefanie began before she even met the teen, when she had known DB for only a month, Flumerfelt claimed. DB had once dated Stefanie, the daughter of two Toronto police officers.

The first evidence of this obsession arrived online in May 2007, 27 months before Stefanie would be killed.

“Stefanie never had a chance,” Flumerfelt continued.

“MT was so clearly the driving force. Subtract her, there is no murder. Without her there is no crime. Without her we are not here and Stefanie goes on to live the life she was destined to live.

“She held sex out as the carrot. DB had a knife for his murder weapon, and DB was MT’s murder weapon.

“Rengel was a 14-year-old girl who knew how to live life…she’s gone because of one reason and that reason is because MT decided it was time for her to die.”

Then the defence spoke.

“This is a trial of words,” Sack told the jury.

“Did MT intend for DB to actually kill Stefanie when she messaged or spoke to DB? The Internet filters the ability to interpret the intentions of a message.”

He told the jury that he would be going through thousands of online chats with them Tuesday, warning that the process would be “arduous.”

The judge is expected to charge the jury later Tuesday.

Sack did not call any witnesses to the stand or present any evidence on Friday, a move that surprised the jury.

However, the court heard a recording of MT’s police interrogation.

Previous stories:

Accused Killer Will Not Testify In Rengel Trial As Defence Ends Its Case

Teen Witness Says Accused Killer Told Him About Rengel Murder

Court Hears Online Chats Between Accused Killers At Rengel Trial

Court Hears Tape Of Interrogation In Rengel Murder Trial

Eyewitness Describes Finding Slain Teen As Murder Trial Continues

Chilling Email Exchange And Mom’s Testimony Highlight Day 1 Of Teen’s First Degree Murder Trial

Teen Murdered On New Year’s Day Identified