Jury finds Sudbury, Ont., man guilty on 3 counts of 1st-degree murder in fatal firebombing of townhouse

A jury has found 27-year-old Liam Stinson of Sudbury , Ont., guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of arson causing bodily harm.

Jurors filed into the courtroom after just four hours of deliberations without glancing at Stinson in the witness box.

Their decision was unanimous.

Stinson was charged in connection with a fire at a Bruce Avenue townhouse that left Jasmine Somers, Jamie-Lynn Rose and Guy Henri dead in April 2021.

David Cheff was seriously injured after jumping from a second-storey window to escape the flames.

Justice Dan Cornell thanked the jurors for their service.

"It's been a very long journey," he said. "Thanks for the conscientious way you performed your duties."

Because Stinson is guilty of first-degree murder, he will receive an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. But he'll be sentenced on a count of arson causing bodily harm at a later date.

Once Friday's court session was complete, relatives of Stinson gathered behind the Plexiglas prisoner's box and reached over to grasp Stinson's hand before he was led away.

Family of the victims did not speak but appeared to be in tears as they were ushered to a room elsewhere in the courthouse to process the verdict.

The trial lasted 6½ weeks and was marked by many delays.

'I hope the families can find closure'

"It's the highest level we could have gotten within our justice system," said Greater Sudbury police Det. Const. Marc Belanger, lead investigator on the case, who was visibily moved by the verdict.

"We wanted to show that this one person meant for this to happen and followed through with that plan. That it wasn't an accident."

Belanger said he was happy with the result, but it would never be enough for the families of Somers, Rose and Henri.

"We're here because of one person's selfish acts," Belanger said.

"And there are three people who are out here because of that same person. So it's a good day and I hope the families can find closure, but it's just another chapter for what they have to go through."

Assistant Crown attorney Kaely Whillans said she was happy the jury took the case seriously and "justice was served today."

"There's nothing I can say to the families that will help with the pain of that loss," Whillans added.

"But they were present and committed, and there for their family members throughout this whole thing."

A sentencing date hasn't yet been set.