Molitor makes court appearance
Durell Wambolt
first court appearance on a first- degree murder charge in the stabbing
death of his 21-year-old former girlfriend.
While Molitor's mother wept in the courtroom, the accused barely looked at
his mother, Linda, his father, Mike, or his brother, Steve, in the front
row, as he walked into the prisoner's box of the Sarnia courtroom.
The cuff on the right arm of his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a splint
and massive bandage over his forearm and hand -- a result of a severed
artery and tendon, said his lawyer, Ed Gresham.
Molitor stood silently as his case was put over until next Monday. He will
be held at the Sarnia jail until then.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said the case -- a shocking example of violence
against women -- may necessitate a coroner's inquest.
"It's here and it's what this tragedy is about," he said.
Sarnia police and the Crown opposed Molitor's release from jail in December
when he faced an assault charge. He was released but ordered to stay away
from former girlfriend Jessica Nethery.
"If this tragedy could have been averted, then it should have been,"
Bradley said, calling restraining orders "paper tigers."
Bradley said the courts may have failed Nethery and her family. "It's a sad
story and one that has probably repeated itself in every Ontario town."
Steve Molitor, a reigning international bantam weight champion, escorted
his mother from court.
"Regardless of what has happened, I love my brother and I'm going to stand
by him," Steve said.
"I knew Jessica and she did not deserve to die. She was the same age as
myself and her family must be heartbroken. As you can see, it has torn two
families apart."
Steve said none of his family has spoken to Jeremy since he was arrested
Saturday.
"(The death) has nothing to do with my mother, my father or myself or their
reputations in this city," Steve said.
Nethery, who was looking forward to buying her own house, was found stabbed
to death in her own car in the parking lot of a downtown highrise Saturday.
The victim's uncle, Eric Nethery, said Molitor called Jessica Saturday
morning to arrange a meeting.
Staff at the highrise where her body was found said a man walked into the
front lobby covered with blood. He went to the 18th floor and knocked on a
stranger's door. That's when the man called police.
"The on-site superintendent proceeded to clean up blood (near the
elevator)," property manager Greg Fraser said, adding the superintendent
didn't know anything was wrong.
Nethery worked at Stokes Bay Bar and Grill, played basketball and
volleyball in high school and was looking forward to playing baseball this
summer.
"Jessica was a hard worker, a responsible girl who owned her own car and
furniture," Eric said of his niece. "She loved life and it's all been taken
away."
Molitor's mother called the Nethery home the day of the killing.
Molitor's lawyer is contemplating moving the trial out of Sarnia.
"It's something we'll have to think about a little bit further down the
road but he's nationally known, not just regionally known," he said.
Until Molitor gets disclosure from the Crown, he can't make any decision
about pleas or moving the trial, he added.
Molitor's injuries required plastic surgery in London Saturday night but
Gresham wouldn't say whether the wounds were self-inflicted.
Durell Wambolt
Molitor appears in court
He was charged with first-degree murder
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By SCOTT STEPHENSON
of The Observer
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Looking tired and unshaven, with his right forearm heavily bandaged and
splinted, Jeremy Molitor made a brief appearance in a Sarnia court on Monday
charged with first-degree murder.
Justice of the Peace Joanne Rogers remanded Molitor, who is accused of
killing his estranged girlfriend, in custody and adjourned the case for one
week at the request of his lawyer Ed Gresham.
"It went as we expected it to," Gresham later said outside the courthouse,
referring to Molitor's first court appearance.
Gresham said he requested the adjournment for the purpose of receiving the
Crown's disclosure of evidence against Molitor.
Molitor, who won a gold medal for Canada as a boxer at the 1998 Commonwealth
Games, was charged Sunday with killing Jessica Nethery, 21. Her body was
discovered in a locked car in the parking garage of the Kenwick Place
apartments by police responding to a report of a distraught male in the area
shortly before noon.
Molitor was supported in court by his parents and younger brother Stephen,
22, the reigning International Boxing Federation bantamweight champion.
"Regardless of what has happened I love my brother and I'm going to stand by
him," Stephen said afterward, as he escorted his mother from the courthouse.
Stephen said he returned to Sarnia from Toronto after learning of his
brother's arrest to make sure nothing happens to his family.
This is Jeremy's problem alone, he said.
"This has nothing to do with my mother, my father or myself and their
reputations around the city. I just want to make sure everyone understands
that in the city. That's the only reason I'm here."
Stephen said no one in the family had spoken with Jeremy since his arrest
but said his brother knows the family supports him. He added his sympathy
goes out to the Nethery family.
"I knew Jessica and she did not deserve to die. She's the same age as
myself. Her family must be heart broken. As you can see it's torn two
families apart in the same process," he said.
Gresham said Molitor is doing "as well as can be expected," considering his
situation.
"I guess that's about the only way you can really describe it," said
Gresham, calling the situation "a tragedy."
Gresham said the injury to Molitor's right arm included a severed tendon and
artery that had to be repaired by a surgeon in London on Saturday.
Gresham said consideration has been given to possibly requesting a change of
venue for the trial but a final decision won't be made for some time.
"That's something we're going to have to think about further but he is
nationally known. He's not just regionally known so we're not sure. He's as
well known in Toronto as he is here in Sarnia so that's something we're
going to have to take under advisement and probably have conversation with
other counsel about," said Gresham.
Gresham said Molitor hasn't yet decided if he will apply for bail.
"That's a decision that Mr. Molitor will need to make and he's going to need
some information as far as Crown disclosure just to be able to make an
informed decision on that," he said.
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