Accused murderer threatened to hurt a random person night Tyquan Brown was killed
Like I'm going to hurt people you don't know like just some random person I want my family back."
That's what Dylon Duarte texted his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son at 4:01 p.m. on May 30, 2019.
He spent the next eight hours repeatedly messaging, calling and looking for Hope VanKoughnett, assistant Crown Jill McKenzie said during the opening of Duarte's first-degree murder trial Wednesday.
In the messages he threatened to hurt others and himself if she didn't come back to him. When he couldn't find her, he enlisted the help of one of VanKoughnett's sisters, Torri Calverly, and her boyfriend, Anthony Plaenk, telling them VanKoughnett was drunk and needed help, McKenzie said.
Duarte eventually found VanKoughnett outside 180 Sherman Ave. N., where she had gathered with some friends to watch a basketball game and have some drinks. VanKoughnett testified it was Duarte, wearing a familiar camouflage jacket, jeans and Gucci hat, his face covered, who ran over to them, yelling and swinging a knife. He was saying things including: I'll kill you" and Wanna get stabbed?" witnesses told police.
Among the group standing outside, enjoying their night was Tyquan Brown, a man VanKoughnett had only met maybe once or twice before. Yet he was the random victim.
The knife wound in Brown's chest was 11.5 centimetres deep, piercing portions of his right lung, rib, aorta and right pulmonary artery, McKenzie said. He had no defensive wounds and died of rapid blood loss. In the chaos, Brown ran a short distance south and collapsed in an alleyway. VanKoughnett and others chased Duarte as he fled.
VanKoughnett testified that she didn't even know anyone had been hurt until after speaking to police.
Court heard VanKoughnett and Duarte had a troubled relationship. They had dated for about a year and a half to two years before breaking up. They had a 10-month old son at the time of the stabbing. He assaulted her in the past, including once with a Taser and one time that caused injuries. But shortly before the stabbing they were talking about getting back together, despite a court order prohibiting contact.
I had visions of the perfect family," she said in court.
But on the morning of May 30 they argued. She left and texted him that he couldn't live with her. She testified that she believed the relationship was over.
In the hours after she left, records show he tried to contact her more than 100 times, mostly through text messages and missed phone calls. His contact was listed as baby daddy" in her phone. She sent a few brief answers, saying she was with friends.
At one point VanKoughnett texted back that she was at a place on East 27th Street - this was a lie, because she didn't want Duarte to know where she was. VanKoughnett never shared the correct address with Duarte, but he was able to find the place because Plaenk - who is expected to be called as a witness - had helped VanKoughnett move some of her things from that address before.
McKenzie told the jury witnesses described the knife like a Game of Thrones-type knife or small machete." The knife was never recovered, but it matches one that went missing from Plaenk's place.
When VanKoughnett was first interviewed by police she wasn't entirely honest, court heard. She lied about having recent contact with Duarte.
I was embarrassed," she said, adding that she didn't want her family to know she had considered getting back together with Duarte. But she eventually told the truth and handed over her phone to police.
The trial continues Thursday.
Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com