Man who fatally stabbed wife in 2012 eligible for parole in 7 years
A Montreal man who killed his wife by stabbing her 59 times in a fit of jealousy will be eligible for parole in seven years as part of the sentence delivered Friday following his guilty plea to second-degree murder.
On March 3, 2012, Jonathan Exi, 51, killed Justine Macena Blaise, 44, inside their apartment on Arthur-Chevrier St. The couple had argued beforehand and Blaise left the apartment the night before, with her three-year-old son, because she feared for her safety. She spent the night at the home of an ex-boyfriend and, according to what Exi later admitted to, this set him off. When Blaise returned home he stabbed her in the face and neck with two different knives.
When the police arrived they found Blaise’s lifeless body in a pool of her own blood. Exi was covered in blood and was arrested at the scene. One of the knives was so badly damaged by the force of the violence that the blade was bent and its handle had broken off. As Exi was being placed in handcuffs, the victim’s three-year-old son woke up and headed for the kitchen to find out what had happened, but he was blocked by other officers.
Exi had a trial before a jury and was convicted of first-degree murder on April 4, 2015. The sentence back then was automatic — a life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. Exi appealed the verdict and, on Nov. 21, 2017, the Quebec Court of Appeal agreed that the instructions provided by Superior Court Justice Catherine Mandeville, did not allow the jury to factor Exi’s mental state into their decision. The appellate court ordered a new trial but, last month, Exi pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. The conviction also comes with an automatic life sentence but, on Friday, Superior Court Justice Pierre Labrie was left to determine how many years Exi should be required to serve before he is eligible for parole. The minimum is 10 years and the maximum is 25 years.
While citing previous decisions that factored in conjugal violence and the brutal nature of the crime, Labrie decided to set the eligibility at 13 years. Exi has been detained since his arrest in 2012, so he will be eligible for parole in 2025.