Friend says medicine may have sparked violence
HALIFAX — The homicidal tendencies of a former Canadian soldier who killed his girlfriend and himself in their new Nova Scotia home last week could be linked to a drug he was required to take before serving in Afghanistan, a close friend says.
Jason Hill, a longtime friend of Marc Poulin’s, said Sunday he was aware Poulin was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after completing three tours of duty in the war-torn country.
However, Hill said Poulin had also complained to him about the rage-inducing side-effects of an anti-malarial drug he had taken prior to his initial deployment in 2003.
“I know he mentioned drugs and shots before going that he believed affected him,” Hill said in an interview from his home in Callander, Ont.
Last Friday, the Nova Scotia RCMP confirmed that the deaths of 42-year-old Poulin and 45-yearold Jennifer Lynne Semenec were the result of a murder-suicide. Both were originally from North Bay, Ont., and had recently moved to rural Springhill, N.S. Their bodies were recovered last Tuesday from a house they had recently purchased and were renovating.
Hill stressed that before his friend joined the military in 1999, he was known for his charismatic smile, fearless nature, athletic prowess in hockey and football, and an enduring willingness to help others.
“He was a hero beforehand,” he said, recalling how Poulin routinely helped older neighbours with their groceries and once stepped in to rescue a female neighbour from being beaten.
“I said, ‘Hey, someone needs help,’ and before I was even done talking, he was running to get the guy,” Hill said. “He was always smiling and he held his head high. He had a lot of confidence.”
Shane MacDonald, a cousin and close friend of the former infantryman, said relatives believe Poulin’s PTSD was “the critical factor” behind his behaviour.
When asked if Poulin’s actions could be the result of something other that PTSD, MacDonald said he and other relatives believe it was the main cause.
The symptoms associated with PTSD, however, may not fully explain the debilitating meltdowns Poulin suffered after he left the military in 2013, something he routinely apologized for on his now-defunct Facebook page, Hill said.
“He was apologizing all the time for his bouts,” said Hill, paraphrasing posts from Poulin that said: “I didn’t mean to yell at my son. I didn’t mean to cower in the middle of the mall and scare people ... I’m sorry to the old lady who saw me scream at the mall.”
Some military advocates have been pushing the Canadian military to stop using the anti-malarial drug mefloquine, which some experts have linked to brain damage. Last June, the Canadian Forces changed its policy so that other anti-malarial drugs are offered first. But critics want it banned from military use. At the time, the military and Health Canada released separate studies that concluded there is no evidence the drug causes long-lasting psychiatric problems.
In recent years, some veterans have come forward to complain mefloquine caused aggression, mood swings and sleep disorders.