Mark Peter Hutt’s early life remains largely private in public records, with fewer documented details compared to his victim. In 2005, Donna met Mark Peter Hutt, introduced through a mutual friend in Ottawa. Initially charming, he soon became emotionally and financially dependent on her. Friends say he monitored her social life obsessively—calling repeatedly when she was out and forbidding many of her friendships. Witnesses noticed bruises on her arms and shoulders, and saw her professional performance decline at work

The couple became engaged in 2007, but Donna’s friends staged an intervention and eventually withdrew from the wedding party due to escalating control tactics from Hutt. Two years later, she had lost over 60 pounds, dropping from 162 lb to 101 lb—an alarming physical indicator of ongoing emotional abuse. 

On December 5, 2009, Jones sustained severe burns covering 40% of her body from scalding hot water. Hutt claimed it was an accident involving boiling water and treated her at home—delaying medical help. He waited 11 days to call 911, claiming she was alive when he called. Forensics determined she had been dead for up to 12 hours before the call.

When emergency responders arrived on December 6, Jones was lying on makeshift pillows in the basement. She exhibited signs of prolonged torture: beatings, broken bones, scald injuries, and 29 pellet wounds from an air rifle—some pellets embedded for quite some time. Medical expert Joel Fish testified that proper treatment could have saved her with near certainty.

The Crown argued Hutt exploited Jones’s trauma bond—she protected him despite her injuries. A prior third-party report of abuse had been made days after the burns, but police failed to investigate until after her death.