A Montreal man accused of killing three family members told police officers he was 'the devil' upon their arrival at the gruesome scene, a Quebec court heard this week.
Determining Criminal Responsibility
Quebec Superior Court Justice Annie Émond is presiding over a two-day hearing to determine if Arthur Galarneau, now 22, should be found not criminally responsible for the deaths of his parents and grandmother. The horrific incident occurred on March 17, 2023, at the family's duplex on Bélanger St. in the Rosemont district.
The victims were identified as Mylène Gingras, 53, Richard Galarneau, 53, and Francine Gingras-Boucher, 75. Prosecutor Anne-Andrée Charrette detailed the chilling events to the court on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
A Chilling 911 Call and Police Response
The tragedy unfolded after a desperate 911 call from Galarneau's mother. "Call an ambulance. My son wants to kill me," she reportedly said. When two Montreal police officers arrived, they peered through a window in the front door.
"Through the window, police could see a lot of blood and that Galarneau was stabbing a person who turned out to be his mother repeatedly," Charrette told the court.
One officer drew a firearm and kicked in the door. Galarneau dropped the knife and stepped outside, allegedly stating, "It's good. It's good. I'm finished." He was completely covered in blood and ignored commands to lie down, instead walking toward officers with an "empty look." Police had to use pepper spray to subdue him.
Statements of Demons and a Brutal Attack
During his arrest, Galarneau resisted, attempted to bite officers, and spat. He shouted his mother's name and, according to the prosecutor, "spoke of the devil, of demons and of Satan. He also said he wanted to die."
Once handcuffed, officers entered the home and discovered the bodies of his father and grandmother. A pathologist, Caroline Tanguay, later documented 137 stab wounds on Mylène Gingras, many of them fatal.
In the ambulance en route to Santa Cabrini Hospital, Galarneau remained agitated, repeatedly declaring he was a demon and the devil, and pleading, "Kill me." At the hospital, it took three doctors, nurses, police, and security guards to restrain him for sedation.
Family Concern and a Shocking Realization
Psychiatrist Gilles Chamberland testified that Galarneau had suffered from schizophrenia for two years prior. His symptoms had worsened, prompting his father to return home due to family concern.
When questioned by police later, Galarneau expressed shock upon learning he had killed three people, not two. Asked about injuries on his hands, he replied, "It came with the massacre." He claimed he didn't hate his family but felt a growing sense of disrespect and hate at the moment. The prosecutor stated Galarneau blamed a film watched with his parents the night before for setting him off.
A blood sample revealed the presence of THC. The hearing continues as the court weighs the critical question of criminal responsibility for one of Montreal's most disturbing recent crimes.
