The quiet of a Rosemont home shattered on March 17, 2023, when a young man turned on his own family. Mylène Gingras, Richard Galarneau, and Francine Gingras-Boucher, a mother, father, and grandmother, became the victims of a horrific act of violence within the walls they shared.
The chilling 911 call, made by Mylène Gingras herself, revealed a desperate plea for help, laced with the terrifying realization that her son, Arthur Galarneau, intended to take her life. Twice she uttered the words, a haunting premonition of the tragedy unfolding. Arriving officers witnessed a scene of unimaginable brutality – Galarneau repeatedly stabbing his mother, visible through a window.
Even as police moved to arrest him, deploying pepper spray to subdue him, Galarneau’s words were disturbing. “I am the devil. I am a demon. Kill me,” he declared, a chilling confession echoing with inner turmoil. His detachment continued during interrogation, questioning the number of lives he’d taken and speaking of a “massacre” as if describing a distant event.
This wasn’t a sudden eruption of violence, but the culmination of a years-long struggle with mental illness. The court heard how Galarneau’s parents tirelessly sought help for his schizophrenia, a battle that began in 2020. Early symptoms included delusions triggered by cannabis use, leading to job loss, arguments, and suicidal thoughts.
Despite medication and referrals, the illness persisted. Hospitalizations followed episodes of aggression towards his parents and continued expressions of suicidal ideation. There were brief moments of hope, like the days before the tragedy when his father noted “little ups” in his son’s condition, but these were tragically fleeting.
In the days leading up to the killings, Galarneau’s paranoia intensified. He believed a tracking device was hidden in his underwear, and became convinced his parents were whispering about him in the kitchen. He obsessively re-watched a film, fueled by excessive coffee, unable to escape his spiraling thoughts.
Following his arrest, Galarneau voluntarily admitted himself to the Philippe Pinel Institute. A psychiatrist’s evaluation ultimately determined he lacked the capacity to understand the moral wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the killings. He was found not criminally responsible for the deaths.
The court has ordered a further evaluation at the Pinel Institute to assess his risk level. This assessment will determine whether he should be designated a high-risk accused, potentially leading to a longer period of detention at the hospital. The case is set to return to court on February 23rd, leaving a family and a community grappling with unimaginable loss and the complexities of mental illness.
