Man wrongfully convicted of 1978 double murder settles with Montreal and Quebec

Claude Paquin spent 18 years in prison after being found guilty in 1983 of the murders of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah, a couple slain in the Laurentians in 1978. He was released on parole in 2001 and lived under strict conditions for another 23 years. In 2024, the federal justice minister ordered a new trial, citing new information that suggested a miscarriage of justice, and Paquin was acquitted on November 6, 2024.

He subsequently sued the City of Montreal and the Quebec Attorney General, claiming that police and the Crown knew the key informant’s testimony was false and that physical evidence had been tampered with. The lawsuit sought just over $89 million in damages, though the settlement amount remains confidential. The agreement, announced jointly by the city and the provincial government, prevents a lengthy fall trial and allows Paquin to move forward after a prolonged ordeal.