“Last chance” request: murderer Shawn Denver-Lambert will be able to get out sooner

Murderer Shawn Denver-Lambert won his bet and will be able to advance his first request for parole by three years, initially set for October 2028, after a jury hearing his judicial review accepted his request on Monday.

• Also read: “Last chance” request: a murderer wishes to advance his release

• Also read: “Last chance” request: foray into the sordid murder of an elderly couple

The 12 jurors only needed just a few hours to come to a consensus on the motion presented by Shawn Denver-Lambert.

Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years for a murder that occurred in 1994 in Val-Bélair, the criminal wanted to advance his possible return to life in freedom to be able to “contribute a little before dying”.

“I am indebted,” confided the repentant criminal during his testimony delivered last week. “I destroyed their family, my family, my life. […] I just want to do something positive before I die,” he insisted.

Sordid murder

Denver-Lambert and his accomplice Pierre Lévesque broke into the residence of an elderly couple in April 1994, in Val-Bélair.

Believing to find a large sum of money there which would have belonged to organized crime, the duo beat to death Béatrice Lavoie, 75 years old, and her husband, Maurille Lepage, 82 years old. The woman died in the residence, while the man died 12 days later due to his significant injuries.

When the murderer learned a few years later that the amount of money stolen represented the savings of an uneventful couple, regrets overwhelmed him, he testified.

“I was destroyed. […] It’s not in my criminal values,” he assured the jury during his testimony, assuming his responsibility for the “horrible” crime.

As for the risk factors that could put him in trouble in the future, Shawn Denver-Lambert addressed them honestly. “I’m a fucking coke addict“, he admitted, speaking of an addiction to drugs that would follow him throughout his life. “My activities, I’m going to restrict them to things where I won’t be exposed to that.”

Three years ago

His confession, his remorse, his frankness and his exit plan visibly convinced the 12 fellow citizens responsible for his judicial review. The jury chose to grant him the possibility of applying for parole from October 6, 2025, three years earlier than planned.

The victims’ niece, who represented her family, also seemed open to this possibility, since she had indicated to the jury during her testimony that she was not opposed to the request.

“I put the decision in your hands,” said Esther Lepage.

This decision does not, however, mean that Denver-Lambert will be released from detention in October 2025, but rather that he will be able to begin the parole process, without any guarantee of receiving the approval of the commissioners. He will also remain under surveillance until the end of his days, having been sentenced to life.

“It’s part of the game,” he said during his testimony.