'Didn't deserve to die,' Family speaks out after three killed in Sudbury townhouse firebombing

The sound of crying echoed through the Sudbury Courthouse Monday as families of three people killed in a 2021 townhouse firebombing shared their grief.

Witnesses testified that 27-year-old Liam Stinson directed two men to a townhouse on Bruce Avenue where his ex-girlfriend, Jamie-Lynn Rose, lived in April 2021. He instructed them to bring two Molotov cocktails, makeshift firebombs. The men found the back door open, entered the kitchen and set the place on fire.

The fire claimed the lives of Jamie-Lynn Rose, Guy Henri and Jasmine Somers. The townhouse owner, David Cheff, escaped by jumping out a second-storey window. In May, Stinson was found guilty of three charges of first-degree murder as well as recklessly causing damage by fire to a residence, causing bodily harm.

According to the Criminal Code, a conviction for first-degree murder results in a mandatory life sentence with eligibility for parole after 25 years. The sentence for the arson conviction will be served at the same time as the murder sentence.

Rose's father, Philip Wright, asked the court to imagine if someone in the room had intentionally set their loved one on fire.

"Imagine getting a call of this terrible act, only to find out it was intentional, your sister, daughter and niece, sister-in-law, how about your mother," Wright said.

He says he heard and imagined the moment when his daughter was burned alive inside the home through the 911 call.

Many of the victims' family members detailed a similar sense of pain, grief and darkness.

Lianne Somers wonders about her daughter, Jasmine's last breath, "the constant question forever in my mind, did she cry out for me, her mom?"

Jasmine's father, Dennis Somers, says he knows his daughter is looking down on him and saying, "Hey dad, everything's okay, I'm with the heavens… thank you Dad and I love you."

Gisèle Beaudry, the mother of Guy Henri, recounted the moment she was hoping to bring some of his ashes to British Columbia, where he had resided with his family. 

"As I was getting some of his ashes ready, I came across some of his bones," said Beaudry. "A mother should never hold her child's bones in her hands."

She remembers her son as a bright light who was always willing to listen with compassion.

"He didn't deserve to die in this cruel way," she said, crying as she spoke in court with her husband at her side.

Defence Lawyer Joseph Wilkinson was also given the chance to make an argument. He stated that the judge in the case, Justice Dan Cornell, should step down due to perceived bias. The defence claimed Cornell received a letter from lead investigator Det. Const. Marc Belanger after the trial. However, Justice Cornell stated he contacted the judicial ethics committee upon receiving the letter and did not respond to it, and ultimately rejected the motion.

The sentencing hearing on the arson conviction will resume on Nov. 1 with submissions from the defence.