Cooper Ouellette will not testify in his own defense as his trial over Sophie Ringquist's death moves to closing arguments. On Thursday, his attorneys said he would exercise his right to remain silent before they rested their case.
Sophie Ringquist was 17 when she died after going out for the night on May 20, 2023. Prosecutors say she was tossed from Ouellette's truck twice while driving home, and the defense has said investigators never performed pattern testing on her clothing.
Ouellette and the trial record
Ouellette, who was 18 at the time, has pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter and selling or delivering alcohol to a minor. The defense left the jury with its version of the night: that Ringquist had been drinking, that two friends saw drinks in the truck, and that they did not see signs Ouellette was intoxicated.
The testimony also placed Ouellette at Ringquist's home late on May 20, slumped over in the front passenger seat, with Ringquist having a bloody nose. Ringquist's mother said one of her daughter's front teeth was chipped, and testified that she asked Ouellette how much he had to drink when he brought her daughter home.
Ryan Slaiby on the investigation
Ouellette told Ringquist's mother and investigators that Ringquist had been drunk and said she needed to vomit. He said he tried to pull over, but before he could, she jumped from the car. In an interview with police in the early morning hours of May 21, he appeared sluggish and unsteady on his feet.
Connecticut State Police Detective Ryan Slaiby testified that investigators never tested Ouellette's blood for alcohol because so much time had elapsed by the time they came to his home. The defense also said investigators never examined Ringquist's clothing for markings or patterns that would show a tire had rolled over her.
Friday morning closing arguments
Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday morning, after which the case will move to the jury. The defense decision not to call Ouellette leaves the disputed physical evidence and the conflicting accounts of the drive home to be argued without his testimony.
