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Benoit Cardinal convicted of first-degree murder of wife Jael Cantin

Benoit Cardinal has been found guilty of the first-degree murder of his wife Jael Cantin.

Benoit Cardinal has been found guilty of the first-degree murder of his wife Jael Cantin.

Twelve jurors handed down the verdict Saturday morning at the Joliette courthouse following two days of deliberations and 15 months of legal proceedings that included trial testimony from five children.

Cardinal, 34, was accused of killing the mother of his six children in the middle of the night in January 2020. 

Police found the 33-year-old woman in a pool of blood in her bedroom in Mascouche, Que., a suburb about 45 kilometres north of Montreal.

The jury sided with the Crown over the defence's argument that an intruder was behind the tragedy.

Prosecutor Caroline Buist says the verdict comes as a relief for Cantin's family.

The victim's father, Gaetan Cantin, issued a statement saying the result is "not a time for celebration or satisfaction," and that "everyone loses in a situation like this."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2021.

The Canadian Press