Convicted murderer, prison escapee suspected of setting fatal Old Montreal fire

Radio-Canada has learned that a convicted murderer who once slipped from custody and was on the lam for four years is now the primary suspect in an Old Montreal arson case that killed seven people in March.

Surveillance cameras show an explosion, flames and then Denis Bégin, 63, fleeing the scene as the fire began tearing through the heritage building on Place D'Youville, Radio-Canada confirmed.

Montreal police investigators linked him to the crime several weeks ago, though Bégin has not yet been charged. His alleged link to the crime was first reported by the Montreal daily news service, La Presse, on Thursday.

Bégin had been on several most-wanted lists after escaping from a minimum security institution in Laval, Que., where he was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.

He escaped with the help of an accomplice on Feb. 15, 2019. Correctional Service Canada announced Bégin was caught on May 15 by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).

Two months before he was caught, a fire broke out in a three-storey building in Old Montreal on March 16. 

The building housed long-term and short-term rentals, including Airbnbs, which are prohibited in this area of Old Montreal under a bylaw adopted in 2018.

Quebec ordered a public inquiry into the fire after concerns emerged about safety code violations that went unfixed for years. On Aug. 28, Montreal police announced the fire had been intentionally set.

"We are now talking about a criminal investigation," Insp. David Shane said at the time, noting traces of an accelerant were detected.

Members of the SPVM's major crimes unit took over the investigation, joining their colleagues on the arson squad who have been investigating the fire from the beginning.

Radio-Canada confirmed on Thursday that Bégin, who has a lengthy rap sheet, is now the main suspect.

Bégin was nicknamed the "Halloween Killer" for his role in the death of 19-year-old Riccardo Jezzi in 1993 during a Halloween party at a Montreal bar.

When he opened fire on partygoers with a sawed-off shotgun, Bégin was wearing a goalie mask like that donned by fictional villain Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th film series. Jezzi was also wearing a hockey mask when he was shot.

Radio-Canada obtained six documents from the Parole Board of Canada that highlight Bégin's public danger profile.