Killer who had ties to the Hells Angels granted full parole

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A man with former ties to the Hells Angels has been granted full parole for a murder he carried out in Rivière-des-Prairies more than three decades ago.

Stéphane Turcotte, 58, killed Sylvain Bujold, a drug dealer he worked for, on Jan. 2, 1994, inside a print shop Turcotte owned in eastern Montreal. The victim was shot several times and his body was dismembered.

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Bujold’s remains were never found, but the details behind the homicide were revealed to the Montreal police months later when Jean-Claude Bergeron, an accomplice in the slaying, became an informant. Bergeron agreed to collaborate with police following his arrest for setting off a bomb early in Quebec’s biker gang war. The bomb injured a man who was part of a failed effort to prevent the Hells Angels from expanding their drug-trafficking turf in Montreal. The biker gang war, between the Hells Angels and a collection of criminal organizations, stretched from 1994 to 2002. More than 160 people were killed during the conflict.

“Clear data showed (Bujold’s) murder was directly linked to your connections and association with a group presenting a security threat, specifically the Hells Angels motorcycle club. You were then considered an influential figure in the underworld. Your affiliation to this group has been inactive since 2019,” the Parole Board of Canada wrote in a recent decision granting Turcotte full parole for the first time since his arrest on March 21, 1995.

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Bergeron told investigators that Bujold was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun and that the slaying caused such a mess he and Turcotte had to repaint the walls, floors and ceiling of the printing company. Bergeron and Turcotte worked for Bujold and they suspected he had plans to send them to a drug deal with counterfeit money.

On July 7, 1995, Bergeron pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a life sentence.

Turcotte was convicted of first-degree murder in 1996. He appealed the jury’s verdict and a second trial was ordered, but he was convicted of first-degree murder again on June 3, 2000.

He was granted day parole during December 2022 and “adopted a positive and adequate attitude” while he was required to reside at a halfway house. According to the board’s decision, he interacted well with other residents and was respectful to staff at the halfway house. He also studied and worked to learn a profession while out on day parole.

“The board notes that the crime for which you were sentenced is the most serious that can be found in the Criminal Code since you caused the death of a person and the disposal of his body was particularly odious,” the parole board wrote. “The board notes that you have maintained conformist behaviour for several years and that the relationship with your case-management team (the people who prepare an offender for a release) is positive. You are not a subject of interest for preventive security. You have been on day parole since December 2022. Since then, you have been involved in your correctional planning and you are able to address contributing factors of your criminality.”

pcherry@postmedia.com

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