Allan Legere, one of Canada’s most infamous killers, dies in federal custody
Correctional Service Canada has confirmed that Allan Legere, one of Canada’s most notorious violent offenders, has died while serving a life sentence at the Edmonton Institution.
He was 78.
Legere was widely known as the “Monster of the Miramichi,” a serial killer, rapist, and arsonist whose crimes in the 1980s left deep scars across New Brunswick.
He first entered the national spotlight following a 1986 home invasion in Black River Bridge, where an elderly storekeeper was murdered and his wife was brutally assaulted. Legere was convicted and sentenced to life in 1987 for his role in that attack.
His notoriety grew even further in 1989, when he escaped custody while at a Moncton hospital for medical treatment.
Using a concealed metal tool, Legere picked the lock on his restraints, fled the building, and evaded police for months.
During that time, he committed four more murders in the Miramichi region, prompting one of the most extensive manhunts in modern Canadian policing.
Legere was eventually recaptured in November 1989.
Correctional Service Canada says its internal review will look into the circumstances of Legere’s death, as is required whenever an inmate dies in custody. Both the police and the coroner have been notified. No cause of death has been released.
Legere spent decades in maximum‑security institutions, including time in Canada’s Special Handling Unit reserved for the most dangerous offenders, before being transferred to Edmonton Institution in later years.
He had remained incarcerated for nearly 40 years.
