Home > Crime > Canadian Man Set Free Three Years After Stabbing His Two Children To Death

Canadian Man Set Free Three Years After Stabbing His Two Children To Death

December 17, 2012 at 8:23 am by Morbid

MONTREAL – Far be it for me, a resident of the great United States, to bash any other country’s legal system. But in Canada, a former cardiologist found guilty of stabbing his two children to death has been released after only 46 months of confinement.

In February 2009, Guy Turcotte stabbed 5-year-old Olivier and 3-year-old Anne-Sophie to death as they slept in their beds. One would hope that they did not suffer, but according to the children’s mother, that wasn’t the case. She is a physician and a coroner, so looking over her children’s autopsy reports revealed that her children experienced a long, painful death.

“I knew it was not a short death. You know, my little boy received 20 stabs of a knife, he had seven marks of defense,” said Dr. Isabelle Gaston. “He had no wound that was the one that gave him death,” she added. “My little girl, she had 19 wounds, maybe she was luckier? Because she had one that was more mortal than the other. But she felt 19 shots, that’s for sure,” Gaston said.

During his 2011 trial, Turcotte testified that he was upset over his wife leaving him for a family friend and snapped. He says he doesn’t remember stabbing his children nearly four dozen times. There jury only had four possible verdicts they could reach: first degree murder, second degree murder, manslaughter or not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder. After five days deliberation, they chose the latter, believing Turcotte was insane when he stabbed his children.

On Wednesday, after a 46 month stay at a mental health facility, a three-member mental health review board decided that Turcotte was fit to re-enter society and have released him with strict conditions. Turcotte must continue his therapy, live at an approved address, and is not allowed to contact his ex-wife or any members of her family. Obviously, people were already outraged over the verdict are blowing a gasket over his release.

The Canadian government has even called Turcotte’s release “unacceptable.” “We believe that Isabelle Gaston does not deserve to live in fear of her children’s killer and neither do victims of similar crimes across Canada,” said James Moore, a federal cabinet minister. Although it won’t effect the outcome of Turcotte’s release, the Conservative government of Prime Minster Stephen Harper is drafting legislation to make it more difficult for mentally ill offenders to be released from psychiatric facilities.

Turcotte told the review board that he is looking forward to leading a normal life, including practicing medicine and having children again.

Tags: Canada, Crime, Guy Turcotte, mental illness, Murder, Stabbing

60 Comments

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Wolf_of_Mars

Speechless… I’m fuckin’ speechless!
http://www.facebook.com/HamsterNinjaofDOOM Alecia Hendricks

He basically stated himself that he killed them just to get back at her… fuck.
Sam

So, in his eyes, children aren’t precious beings that are to be protected (especcially when their parents’ divorce seems imminent), but some accessory he can use to piss off his soon to be ex-wife. That’s not ‘ooh i lost it there for a minute’, that’s psychotic. And now he wants more kids? PLEASE somebody chop off his clangers.
http://www.facebook.com/dre.mosley Dre Mosley

I have no words. . . .
JohnQknowitall

I a pretty shocked by what I just read here, but I wonder what the jury heard.

I know it is fashionable to quote governments, but as I watch the US Government members throw out emotionally charged talking points/twists (e.g., “fiscal cliff”=”not passing a budget package”) I think “eh.” The Canadian Government. being so concerned now, should have enacted legislation earlier than than now with a knee jerk reaction. Makes me wonder if mass shootings could be prevented with stronger gun controls or a constitutional amendment in the US before the next shooting.
newstarshipsmell

Turcotte admitted causing the deaths but denied intent.
Turcotte now says he’s making progress slowly but surely and that he’s no longer depressed or medicated.
Barely mentioning his late children, Turcotte testified he’d like to practise cardiology again and have another relationship.
He explained to the board there was no time frame on when either would happen.
His licence to practise has lapsed and he’d have to reapply, a process he says is possible.
“Eventually — and I don’t know when — I’d like a relationship,” Turcotte said.
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have objectives.”
http://news.ca.msn.com/canada/killer-cardiologist-wants-to-practise-again

At least he ain’t a quitter.
AssWho?

and got away with it, I agree fucked up beyond comprehension. I hope someone shoots this waste before his seed infects anymore.
JGo555

Well I’m gonna sit back and sadly watch how this POS will do the same in about 6-10yrs. The “I don’t remember, I blacked out” defense worked once & will work again sadly, but I fucking hope they throw the key away.

In my town a drunk driver killed the parents of 5 siblings. He was out to celebrate Xmas that same year and stayed in jail for less than 2yrs. Bravo Canadian justice system.
JGo555

1000x LIKE for using the term: “Clangers”
Gee

Boy I’ll tell Canada is just amazing when it comes to this shit. It really pays to claim Mental defect in Canada.
JGo555

BTW, look at his eyes in that pic. He looks crazy.
OutOfBubbleGum

This is scary… Food being so scarce in Canada in the winter, they’re forced to let out their killers. Oops; I meant lions to weed out the herd.
http://twitter.com/A_Posteriori Outstanding Bill

I’m ashamed of my country. This sort of thing happens too often. There is a documentary called Dear Zachary: A Letter to A Son About is Father. It’s worth watching, although rage inducing.
Angelfelina

Turcotte was the main caregiver to the children and, by all accounts, an excellent one which is why this case is not as simple as it seems. He said he had planned on killing himself after murdering his children, but of course the coward didn’t. You can be sure his life is at risk at the moment and if anything happens to him – even in the middle of a crowd – there will be no witnesses…
Angelfelina

That’s not true – in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, for example, there are large settlements of igloos and everyone cooperates to run the bicycle-operated generators so we can surf the internet and order food online; it’s then delivered pretty fast by Canada Post through their modern dog-sled system. And there are NO lions here – just bears and wolves.
OutOfBubbleGum

Angelfelina, thanks so much for the info on the bears and wolves. It’s a relief to me, since everybody wants to blame my best friend (see pic). Nobody knows that he’s a pacifist, tree hugging, lovable, vegetarian.
Athena

Rage inducing, indeed. I’ve never had a movie leave me feeling so hostile.
Lena60

I say Forced sterilization for this one, and then hang him.
http://www.facebook.com/annemarie.mason.14 Annemarie Mason

Only if you’ve committed a horrific crime. If you claim mental illness but haven’t caused anyone but yourself to suffer, it isn’t so lucrative.

But hey… murder your kids or some stranger on the bus and they’ve got your back.
shadough

The icing? He is not currently on any anti-psychotic drugs at all. If fact, no drugs except for one for hair loss. He was allowed hair loss drug in prison? *facepalm*
SkummyRummy

“Having children again”

Ugh I’m sorry but you already did then fuckn stabbed them to death. Poor babies I can’t imagine the mother reading over the autopsy report. How could she have the strength to do so?! Then to learn that they suffered
Sam

Two birds, one stone: hang him by the balls.
Wicked Smilee

Can’t help but wonder if his sentence would have been more appropriately long, if he didn’t look like a movie star pretty-boy.
LuvsHorror

We can only hope.
sweekymom

Yeah, too bad he isn’t struggling from the end of a rope.
Heather_Habilatory

You want more kids?! You shouldn’t EVER get to have more kids if you stabbed yours because you were mad at your wife! And i bet I know why your wife left you, you small-dicked, arrogant, selfcentered, asshole…
Jessica Stewart

What the what?…Um I’ll go with no…and then some no, with a side of unacceptable, and then could you please add some ARE YOU F*CKIN SERIOUS, CANADA? on top. Apparently his idea of leading a “normal life” includes putting the violent, painful deaths of his children by his own hands, behind him. Oh yeah Dude, like MOST of the people I know leading “normal” lives have told me how this one time they had to get all stabby on their first set of kids, cause things weren’t really working out the way they planned. Totes norms, ya?! It’s cool though, cause all of those couples got over it and are now leading normal lives.
http://twitter.com/butts6954 Kevin Butler

Beyond belief man! What the hell is wrong with those people letting something like that out!?He should be either locked up for good in the most uncomfortable setting possible, or just tortured to death as slowly as possible…They’re as bad as we were with O.J Simpson……
LadyLeopard

WTF?!
BrizeeGyrl

To take the life of your kids because your wife left you for a friend is a Bitch move… then you go to a psychiatric hospital for a couple of years, get released and want to continue on to a normal life.
Get the fuck outta here …He should be banned from practicing medicine. He shouldn’t be allowed to move to another country either. I know that you can’t be tried twice for the same murder, here in the U.S. but does that go for Canada too? He shouldn’t be able to lead anything resembling a normal life at all. They should allow just this once for his Ex wife to perform a Live autopsy on his punk as and right before he dies , bring him back to life. Then put his head in a microwave oven turn it on and let’s see what happens. IF HE CAN SURVIVE THAT , SO BE IT…
spayneuteryourpets

I just watched Dear Zachery. I don’t know what to say. Very impactful. I’m going to dearzachary.com to see if there is anything I can do personally to change things.
hookerpie

Not sure how tolerant they are in the prisons in Canada, but had he served time in the U.S someone on the inside would have offed him a long time ago. Our thugs might be bad but most do not like child killers.
Notsure

Yes he committed the crime, yes it was terrible and absolutely shocking… he is no longer practicing medicine… BUT he spent months and months being studied to see if he was in fact criminally insane at the time. Our courts and countless psychologists found that he was in fact not in control and have a severe mental break down due to a number of outside factors including a dirty divorce, stress from work, and a lot of other things that haven’t been released… So before you go and judge Canada for letting the guy out… keep in mind the US have “not criminally responsible for their actions due to mental health issues”? No? And I can guarantee that it’s no easy feat to be found not responsible… it’s not like the movies.
http://profiles.google.com/truthandjustice27 Catherine Mills

To a psychopath, this is normal. He feels he has the god given right to punish his wife for leaving him by killing the children. Its a very old patriarchal pattern. Now he feels he has the god given right to have more children with some other woman and no doubt he will charm one- who will feel sorry for him.
Psychopaths are master manipulators and this one would have spent his time master minding how he would and did institutionally groom the professionals to allow him free.
In family law judges etc are groomed to see all sperm donors as good enough fathers and all mothers “feeble minded” and never good enough.
The brainwashing of the public is incredible.
Perhaps this incident will wake the sheeple up and get them asking questions?
Athena

“In family law judges etc are groomed to see all sperm donors as good
enough fathers and all mothers “feeble minded” and never good enough.”

…are you referring to Canada? Because here in the States, that’s not generally true. There is a pretty decisive bias in the mother’s favor in Family Law court.
Athena

While you are correct, there have been a few high-profile cases out of Canada (at least one other referenced in this thread) that have involved the release of individuals who turn around and re-offend pretty heinously. This is a natural byproduct of the Canadian system which seeks to limit incarceration to only what is necessary (to protect the public) rather than the American version which seeks to impose punitive sentences (to punish the offender). The Canadian system results in the occasional release of dangerous persons. Our system results in the unnecessarily long incarceration of not dangerous persons.

Personally, I’d rather ours look more like the Canadian system than vice versa.
newstarshipsmell

LOL @ reasoning with someone who uses “sheeple.”
AssWho?

Or with what caliber leaves the biggest mess behind.
Athena

Go ahead. Down vote me. But, please, not before comparing the crime rates of the two nations. Longer, harsher sentencing does not automatically equate to less crime.
alphatroll

He didn’t serve time in a prison, he was in a mental institution.
alphatroll

Even if he WAS legitimately blameless due to insanity, he should never even consider having kids again knowing what he’s capable of. The fact that he said he wants to is probably the best evidence against him.
alphatroll

Those words should have been the tip-off that he wasn’t safe to release. No non-sociopath would ever consider having kids again knowing what he’s capable of.
Athena

Indeed. I know people who’ve opted to not have children because they’re afraid they’ll become an alcoholic or might pass down some trait that they’d rather their child didn’t live with. Not having more children because you “snapped” and off’d your last kids seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it?
Lisa

Are you serious? Have more children one day? Really? If he lived in the US I dont think he’d live long enough to have more children! That’s why Casey Anthony is in hiding. They may have found her not guilty but, she will never be free! NEVER!
Lisa

Where can I find this documentary? Like Netflix or some computer site? I’ve never heard of it before?
Evangelos

Holy f*cking sh*t… This man needs to get dead, PRONTO!!!
Heather_Habilatory

YEAH!
Heather_Habilatory

he’s kinda fugly to me.
alphatroll

No, no, you’re confused; that’s two stones and a bird…
Wicked Smilee

True-especially knowing what he’s capable of. Fugly for sure.
Heather_Habilatory

I didn’t even factor that into my judgment on his looks.
Califboy

For all the fuckers screaming about great gun laws in CANADA, this is why we need our right to bear arms here in America, to set shit straight.
Minerva

How was his medical license not revoked? It can be revoked for malpractice but not after slaughtering two innocent children because you were angry at your ex?

Also, I’m glad he’s looking forward to having more children. Someone should castrate him. Why is it I have a feeling a tiger doesn’t change his stripes and that the second Family #2 doesn’t fit into his plans exactly we will be reading another story about dead babies?
spayneuteryourpets

Man Kills His Second Family
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95270&page=1
Sam

It’s like seeing the future… :/
spayneuteryourpets

However, longer harsher sentencing does help with the recidivism rate.
Dywlf

The sooner hes dead the better! And to think the canadians have been lecturing us about gun control and violence. I guess they don’t believe punishing anyone for any reasons.
Athena

Statistically, so does rehabilitation, educational opportunities and employment programs… all of which the Canadians are better at implementing than we are. Which do you think is better for society?
Athena

I’m a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, but our right to bear arms has nothing to do with setting shit straight in regard to the criminal justice system. We have cases like this, too. The average American is far too ignorant and apathetic to get involved in this stuff (case-in-point, the national voting average is around 50%… and an unknown but probably large portion of those who do vote have no idea what they’re doing).
Gina Marie

This man is crazy and sick for killing his kids…He should never ever be let out…only two years he served for taking two beautful babies that he made???? Unreal….He and his ex atre drs….that’s sooo sad….and he wants to start practing med and have kids again he told them???? Omg hell no…….who would go to a dr knowing what he did n allow him to have kids??? He had his chance to be a dad and took there lil lives…god bless them babies and the ex wife……