A Rhode Island man has been convicted in the grisly murder of 81-year-old Constance Gauthier, who was found stabbed more than 60 times in her home in 2016, the attorney general said Thursday.
Matthew Dusseault Jr., 27, of Woonsocket was found guilty of first-degree murder on Wednesday after an eight-day jury trial in Providence County Superior Court, Attorney General Peter Neronha said in a statement.
The jury also found that the murder was committed with aggravated battery or torture, thereby making Dusseault eligible for a sentence of life without the possibility of parole, Neronha said.
Dusseault is scheduled to be sentenced in Providence County Superior Court on March 28.
“Look no further than the judgment imposed by this jury to understand the severity of this defendant’s crime,” said Neronha. “Constance Gauthier was a vibrant, active woman whose life was tragically cut short, leaving her friends and family to pick up the pieces. I can only hope that those who loved her feel a sense of closure knowing that justice has been served. I thank the Woonsocket Police Department for their partnership in the investigation of this challenging case.”
During the trial, the state proved beyond a reasonable doubt that on or about March 22, 2016, Dusseault stabbed Constance Gauthier dozens of times at her residence in Woonsocket.
On March 23, 2016, Woonsocket Police responded to Gauthier’s home after her neighbor reported seeing her lying on the bedroom floor, unresponsive, through the bedroom window, Neronha said.
Police found the elderly woman on the floor in a pool of blood with more than 60 stab wounds, partially concealed by a mattress, Neronha said.
Dusseault’s tattoo of a Grim Reaper with skulls and a gravestone with the number 63 caught the attention of investigators, because it was around the same number of times that Gauthier had been stabbed, The Providence Journal reported in 2018.
Police saw that the Gauthier’s residence appeared to have been staged as if it was ransacked, as nothing appeared to be stolen.
In July 2018, investigators submitted touch DNA samples collected from the crime scene for review.
The sample produced partial familial matches, which helped lead investigators to Dusseault, Neronha said.
Before an interview with Woonsocket Police, Dusseault consented to a buccal swab for DNA, which matched the sample collected at the crime scene, Neronha said.
“Violent crime will not be tolerated on our community, and I am grateful to see this defendant brought to justice,” Woonsocket Police Chief Thomas Oates said in a statement. “My thanks to the men and women of the Woonsocket Police Department and the Attorney General’s Office for their tireless work in the investigation and prosecution of this case.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW