More than two years after the events, the Montreal police have arrested three young suspects at the end of a long investigation into the death of Stenley Guercin. Two men and a 20-year-old woman will appear on Wednesday in connection with the murder of the 18-year-old victim, killed on Christmas Eve after a conflict during a festive evening.
Stenley Guercin had been shot in front of a residence on Trenton Avenue, near Aberdare Road, in the town of Mount Royal. The young Montrealer was coming out of a party with friends.
It was the 36e homicide to occur in 2021, a year marked by shootings, armed conflicts between young people and even gang members.
The long-term investigation led to the arrest of two 20-year-old men. They are, according to court documents, Léonardo Joseph and Jonathan Guerly Estimé. “The latter will appear at the courthouse today to be charged with second degree murder,” said the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) in a press release. A 20-year-old woman, Bertina Désiré, was also apprehended and will be charged with complicity after the fact. The three arrests took place in Montreal. One of the suspects charged with murder was already detained in connection with another case.
Stenley Guercin was not involved in the criminal world, had confided at the time a close friend to The Press the day after the murder. “Bad people were going after him, and he was defending himself, and it went wrong,” Destiny Montgomery said.
“He was not in street gangs. He was often involved in situations and conflicts with some, ”said another friend.