Jury finds accused in Brossard, Que., triple homicide guilty on all counts

A jury has found the accused in a triple homicide trial guilty of killing her partner and two children in Brossard, Que., two years ago. 

The accused, Levana Ballouz, was found guilty of the four charges she faced: second-degree murder of 38-year-old Synthia Bussières, first-degree murder of five-year-old Éliam and two-year-old Zac, as well as arson. 

Ballouz was known as Mohamad Al Ballouz when she was charged for the crimes.

The jury deliberated at the Longueuil courthouse throughout the weekend, after receiving final instructions in the case Saturday. 

During the five-week trial, Crown prosecutor Éric Nadeau told the court that Ballouz, also 38, had stabbed Bussières 23 times in the night between Sept. 24 and 25, 2022. Nadeau said Ballouz then suffocated her two children and set fire to a number of objects in the home. 

She also swallowed washer fluid in an attempt to end her life, according to evidence presented during the trial. 

Firefighters discovered Bussières's body in the bathroom after being called to the home by a fire alarm. 

They found the children unconscious in a bed, lying on either side of Ballouz.

Ballouz represented herself at the trial without the help of a lawyer and attempted to accuse Bussières of killing their children. 

Sylvie Guertin, Bussières's mother, told reporters over the weekend that she was happy with Nadeau's work as prosecutor in the trial. 

"He did an excellent job. I thank him from the bottom of my heart," Guertin said Saturday afternoon. She said she looked forward to the jury's verdict so that she could "begin to grieve." 

 Bussières had worked for a Montreal urban planning agency.