After 18 years behind bars, a Montrealer who murdered his ex-partner in 2006 says he is a “changed man”. That’s why Christopher Walters is asking a jury to advance his eligibility for parole under the “faint hope” clause.
Posted at 1:46 p.m.
“He has changed. He does not represent a danger to society,” his lawyer, Ms.e Cynthia Chénier, at the opening of this unusual trial Wednesday at the Montreal courthouse.
It was on October 16, 2006 that Christopher Walters killed Melissa MacDonald, a daycare teacher, in her apartment in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood. After a stormy relationship of several years, Melissa MacDonald had just cut ties with her ex, a man with a long history of domestic violence. Two years earlier, he had also raped her, but the accusation had been dropped.
Jealous, Christopher Walters could not stand “the idea of losing her”. So he murdered her. At the time, he explained that he showed up at her house while he was intoxicated. A conflict reportedly broke out over sharing their furniture. He then allegedly stabbed her in the chest and said, “So you want to take my heart, too?” »
The murderer then came out in front of the building with a bloody knife. When he did not drop the weapon, the police shot him.
Convicted of premeditated murder in 2008, Christopher Walters was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
The reason he is addressing a jury this week is because the 59-year-old is eligible for a review of his sentence, a procedure known as the “faint hope” clause. This clause allows a murderer, who has served at least 15 years of their sentence, to ask a jury to reduce their parole ineligibility period. However, only murderers convicted before 2010 are eligible.
“Remember, your role is not to release him, or to determine whether he should be released,” M emphasized to the jury.e Chenier. This role falls to the Parole Board of Canada.
Since his incarceration, Christopher Walters seems to have transformed his life behind bars. He has also been incarcerated since 2021 in a minimum security penitentiary and benefits from outings, under escort, without any incident.
In reports filed into evidence, we learn that Christopher Walters had a difficult childhood. Abandoned for years by his mother in his native country, he arrived in Quebec at 15 years old. He soon dropped out of school. A few years later, he became addicted to cocaine, then crack. He never had a stable job.
In recent years, Walters has benefited from regular meetings with a psychologist. The offender has made significant progress over the months, according to the expert. He expresses remorse and regrets his actions. He also regularly has panic attacks brought on by his guilt. “He fears that his actions have made him a monster with no future,” summarizes the psychologist.
Me Philippe Vallières-Rolland represents the public prosecutor. The trial is presided over by Judge James Brunton of the Superior Court of Quebec.
