The street assassination of a prominent underworld figure was solved in part thanks to the presence of many witnesses at home due to the pandemic lockdown. The murder of Frantz Louis, shot six times in his vehicle, was committed under the gaze of a citizen.
This is what the Crown prosecutor, Mr.e Philippe Vallières-Rolland, told the jury Wednesday morning at the opening of the trial of Emanuell Hunte Roberts and Andrew Thomas Labrèche at the Montreal courthouse.
The two men are charged with the first degree murder of Frantz Louis, described by the Crown as a “significant figure” in crime in Montreal. According to the prosecution theory, Emanuell Hunte Roberts fired on the victim, while his accomplice Andrew Thomas Labrèche was driving the getaway vehicle.
The assassination took place on the morning of November 19, 2020, near the intersection of Fabre and Villeray streets, in the Villeray district of Montreal. The suit alleges the shooter exited a vehicle driven by his accomplice, walked across the street, then fired six bullets at Frantz Louis, who was sitting in his car.
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Frantz Louis
“After shooting, Hunte took to his heels. He quickly entered the vehicle, leaving fingerprints. This error allowed the investigators to trace him, ”explained in his opening statement Mr.e Vallières-Rolland, who teams up with Me Claude Berlinguette-Auger.
But it was without counting on the vigilance of the citizens, many of whom witnessed the escape of the accused. A witness managed to memorize five of the six symbols on the license plate of the getaway vehicle. The police were thus able to arrest Andrew Thomas Labrèche the same day of the murder, underlined Me Vallieres-Rolland.
“Since the murder was committed during the pandemic, several people were working from home. That’s why there were a lot of witnesses. A young woman saw the murder happen in front of her own eyes, a few feet from her, as she drove on Fabre. She will tell you about this shocking experience, ”announced the prosecutor.
The prosecution intends to prove that the two accused met in Châteauguay, three days before the murder, in order to plan their crime. Then, on the fateful morning, Hunte sent text messages to his accomplice about the “Villeray-Fabre” intersection and the license plate number of the victim’s vehicle.
“The hunt was on”, illustrated Me Vallieres-Rolland. Surveillance videos that will be presented to the jury show Labrèche’s vehicle crossing the Fabre-Villeray intersection, just a few minutes before the murder. We then see the vehicle return to the same place after the crime. They then burned a stop in front of witnesses.
According to the Crown, shortly after the murder, Emanuell Hunte Roberts searched the internet for the names of the victim and his alleged accomplice, as well as information about a shooting in Montreal. Emanuell Hunte Roberts also had an article about Frantz Louis on his device, the prosecution intends to prove.
The trial is scheduled for three weeks before Judge Alexandre Boucher. Me Matthew Shadley and M.e Philippe Knerr defend Labrèche, while Me Morgane Laloum and M.e Mathieu Rondeau-Poissant defend Hunte.