In a significant development for a decades-old case, a Quebec man who has maintained his innocence for over thirty years has been released from prison while the federal government conducts a review of his murder convictions.
A Release After Decades Behind Bars
Daniel Jolivet, 68, was granted his release by Quebec Superior Court Justice Lyne Décarie on Friday. The decision comes after Jolivet spent 33 years incarcerated for the 1992 murders of four people in Brossard, a conviction he has consistently sworn he did not commit. Appearing relieved in the courtroom, Jolivet shared a moment of levity with his lawyer, Nicolas St-Jacques, following the judge's ruling.
Justice Décarie authorized Jolivet's immediate release at the courthouse, stating she saw no impediment to it. She notably praised the release plan presented to the court, remarking she had never seen one so solid. The plan is backed by two $25,000 bonds posted by supportive lawyers and requires Jolivet to reside at a specified apartment in Verdun while awaiting the outcome of the federal review.
The Path to Review and a Concession
The move toward freedom began in October when the federal government decided to review the trial that led to Jolivet's conviction. This review was significantly bolstered in June when Quebec's prosecution service, the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales (DPCP), conceded that it appears Jolivet did not receive a fair trial.
Jolivet's case has been a long and difficult one. Despite becoming eligible for full parole in 2017, he was rejected on multiple occasions. His release now hinges on the findings of the federal justice ministry's examination of the original proceedings.
The 1992 Brossard Homicides
The crimes for which Jolivet was convicted occurred on November 10, 1992. The bodies of three victims—Catherine Morin, 20, Nathalie Beauregard, 23, and François Leblanc, 32—were discovered by Leblanc's sister inside a condo on St-Laurent Blvd. in Brossard. Later that same day, the body of a fourth victim, Denis Lemieux, 49, was found in another unit within the same residential building.
A key element of the case that has persisted is the fact that all four victims were shot with the same firearm, which was never recovered by investigators. This detail has remained a point of contention and discussion throughout the long history of the case.
As Daniel Jolivet adjusts to life outside prison walls, the Canadian justice system undertakes a rare and thorough re-examination of a case that has spanned generations. The outcome of the federal review will determine the final chapter for a man who has spent most of his adult life declaring his innocence from behind bars.
