Allan Legere

Case identifiers

• Name: Allan Legere
• Citation: R. v. Legere (1988), 89 N.B.R. (2d) 361
• Other names/aliases: “Monster of the Miramichi”

Background

Allan Legere (1948 - ) was a Canadian serial killer also known as the “Monster of the Miramichi.” He was described as having carried out a murderous rampage in the Miramichi region along the Miramichi River.

Legere had a criminal history in New Brunswick. He was described as once being a car salesman outside Ottawa and as having lived in a farmhouse in nearby Inkerman before returning to New Brunswick.

Legere was held in Canada’s maximum security Special Handling Unit (SHU).

The offence

Legere’s crimes were described as involving torture, rape, and killing of three women, and the murder of an elderly Catholic priest. His crime spree was described as occurring during a seven-month period in 1989 after he escaped custody.

Specific victims named were:

• John Glendenning, 66, of Black River, whose beating death was described as occurring before Legere’s 1987 conviction.
• Annie Flam, 75, whose beating death was described as occurring on May 29, 1989.
• Nina Flam, whose beating and rape were described as occurring on May 29, 1989.
• Donna Daughney, 45, and Linda Lou Daughney, 41, whose sexual assault and beating to death in their home were described as occurring on October 13, 1989; the home was set ablaze.
• Rev. James Smith, 69, whose beating death was described as occurring on November 24, 1989, in the rectory of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Chatham Head.

Legere was also described as escaping and committing arson and multiple rapes during his time at large.

Investigation

The trial featured DNA evidence. Legere’s lawyers argued that the relatively shallow gene pool of the Miramichi region could easily lead to false positives.

Arrest / recapture

Legere was recaptured by RCMP near Nelson-Miramichi on November 24, 1989, after his October 13, 1989 murders and arson.

Trial

Legere’s jury trial began at the Burton Courthouse near Oromocto.

During the trial, the hearings determined the admissibility of DNA evidence. Voire dire hearings spanning 19 days concluded on June 7, 1991.

A panel of 500 was summoned for jury selection at the Oromocto High School Auditorium. Of the 500 called, 311 were exempted for various reasons and another 32 were excused from attending the selection ceremony.

Legere’s trial jury consisted of a six-woman, five-man jury.

A court figure involved in sentencing was Justice David Dickson. In connection with verdicts, Justice David Dickson told the jury: “I don't usually comment on verdicts ... but let me say this. Don't lose too much sleep over your verdict.”

Legere was convicted by the jury on four murder charges and sentenced to life in prison on November 3, 1991.

Legere also filed a notice of appeal with the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

Sentencing

Conviction and sentencing in 1987

• January 22, 1987: Legere was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 18 years.

Escape-related sentencing in 1990

• August 17, 1990: Legere was sentenced to serve nine years for escaping custody, kidnapping and common assault relating to his May 3, 1989 escape.

Murder sentencing in 1991

• November 3, 1991: Legere was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on four murder charges.

Bruce Smith was quoted regarding security costs:

• Then Solicitor-General Bruce Smith said: “security costs charged to his department have climbed past $1.2 million. The province, he said, has to pay $850,000 of the amount.”

Appeals

• August 8, 1987: Legere failed in a bid to reverse his murder conviction before the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.
• February 20, 1989: Prominent lawyer C. David Hughes represented Legere in a murder appeal before the Supreme Court of Canada.
• October 1, 1989: Legere’s appeal foundered; the Supreme Court said it does not issue rulings in matters where the accused is unlawfully at large.
• November 13, 1991: Legere filed notice of appeal with the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

Recurring and related events

On December 13, 1991, unconfirmed reports surfaced that Legere was planning another escape; he was flown from the Miramichi Airport to Montreal and transferred to a special handling unit.

A book entitled “Terror: Murder and Panic in New Brunswick” was banned by the New Brunswick Court of Appeal on May 24, 1991; it was described as tending to lead its readers to believe Legere was guilty.

Timeline

• June 22, 1986 — Shopkeeper John Glendenning, 66, of Black River, was beaten to death; his wife was viciously beaten, sexually assaulted and then left to die.
• January 22, 1987 — Legere was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 18 years.
• August 8, 1987 — Legere failed in a bid to reverse his murder conviction before the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.
• February 20, 1989 — Prominent lawyer **C.
• May 3, 1989 — Legere escaped from the Dr. Georges L. Dumont Hospital in Moncton after being taken there from the Atlantic Institution at Renous for an ear infection; a country-wide manhunt began.
• May 29, 1989 — Chatham shopkeeper Annie Flam, 75, was beaten to death; her sister Nina Flam was beaten and raped.
• October 1, 1989 — Legere’s appeal foundered; the Supreme Court said it does not issue rulings in matters where the accused is unlawfully at large.
• October 13, 1989 — Sisters Donna Daughney, 45, and Linda Daughney, 41, were sexually assaulted and beaten to death in their home; the home was set ablaze.
• November 24, 1989 — Roman Catholic priest James Smith, 69, was found beaten to death in the rectory of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Chatham Head.
• November 24, 1989 — Legere was recaptured by RCMP near Nelson-Miramichi.
• August 17, 1990 — Legere was sentenced to serve nine years for escaping custody, kidnapping and common assault relating to his May 3, 1989 escape.
• November 20, 1990 — Legere was charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
• December 6, 1990 — A preferred indictment containing the four murder charges was filed with the court of Queen's Bench in Newcastle (Miramichi) and the case was transferred to the Burton Courthouse.
• May 24, 1991 — The book “Terror: Murder and Panic in New Brunswick” was banned by the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.
• June 7, 1991 — Voire dire hearings spanning 19 days concluded with hearings determining the admissibility of DNA evidence.
• August 26, 1991 — Jury selection began with a panel of 500 summoned to the Oromocto High School Auditorium.
• August 28, 1991 — Legere’s jury trial began at the Burton Courthouse near Oromocto.
• November 3, 1991 — Legere was convicted by a six-woman, five-man jury on the four murder charges and was sentenced to life in prison.
• November 13, 1991 — Legere filed notice of appeal with the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.
• November 28, 1991 — Then Solicitor-General Bruce Smith said security costs charged to his department had climbed past $1.2 million and that the province had to pay $850,000 of the amount.
• December 13, 1991 — Unconfirmed reports surfaced that Legere was planning another escape; he was flown from the Miramichi Airport to Montreal and transferred to a special handling unit.

Other details

• Rewards of $50,000 were collected for Legere’s capture.
• Legere escaped custody after being taken to hospital for treatment of an ear infection.
• Legere managed to escape when he was taken to hospital for treatment of an ear infection; he was described as emerging from a small, private washroom without restraints and waving a homemade knife.
• He was captured seven months later after one of the largest manhunts in Canadian history.
• Legere was described as being despised by other inmates in the SHU because of his victimization of women and children.
• The case involved multiple rapes and arson during his time at large.
• A university law department was described as opening a special digital archive devoted to New Brunswick's worst serial killer, preserving transcripts and court sketches. The archive effort included 60,000 pages of transcripts.
• The event described included invited guests including Judge David Dickson, who sent Legere away for life in 1991; Judge David Dickson’s reflections were described as being submitted to the library.
• SOURCE QUOTATION (Canoe News): “This was really a socio-legal watershed in New Brunswick history,” Crocker said. “His conviction for murder, even though there were no witnesses to his killings, was based largely on the use of DNA evidence, and that was the very first occasion in Canadian legal history.”
• The record included a metadata-like line stating: “DISPOSITION: Life term, 1986 (escaped 1989); second life term, 1991.”