The fate of Liam Stinson, the suspect charged with first-degree murder in a fatal firebombing case, now rests in the hands of a Sudbury jury. After a lengthy series of instructions from Justice Dan Cornell, the jury is deliberating whether to find Stinson guilty of three counts of manslaughter or three counts of murder.
The case dates back to April 11, 2021, when Stinson directed two men to throw Molotov cocktails into a townhouse on Bruce Avenue in Sudbury. The firebombing resulted in the deaths of Jamie-Lynn Rose, Jasmine Somers, and Guy Henri, while David Cheff, the owner of the townhouse, survived but suffered significant injuries.
During the trial, it was revealed that Rose was Stinson’s estranged girlfriend, and their relationship was described as toxic and involved death threats. The defence has admitted Stinson’s guilt in manslaughter and arson causing bodily harm but argues that he had no intent to kill anyone, claiming he was extremely intoxicated and only trying to “send a message.”
Justice Cornell instructed the jury to use their common sense in determining whether Stinson planned the firebombing with the intention to kill. He emphasized that a first-degree murder conviction requires proof of a pre-meditated plan to cause death.
If the jury finds Stinson had the state of mind to commit first-degree murder of one victim, that would be enough to convict him of first-degree murder for all three deaths. Stinson is the final suspect to be tried in the case, with four other men already having pled guilty to manslaughter and arson causing bodily harm for their roles in the fatal fire.