Fewer murders in Montreal in 2013

Montreal just completed a year which saw its lowest murder tally since the island was united under one police force in 1972.

Twenty-six murders were committed on the island in 2013, although local police are listing the total as 28, which represents the number of homicide investigations they opened during the year.

The total is down from the 35 in 2012 and the drop is largely due to a decrease in underworld-related killings.

Others murders might have been committed in Montreal in 2013 however, as several of the nine missing persons listed on the Montreal police site could be homicide victims, including Jesse Roy, who has been missing since June and Mohamed Qazi Ali and Daniel Pierre who both disappeared in October.

Here is a list of the murders arranged by date, click the date to read full CTV Montreal reports on each crime.

1-January 4: Pamela Jean, 27, of Longueuil was discovered dead in the basement unit of an apartment in Montreal North five days after disappearing. Her Boyfriend Juan Ferma Palma, 32, was charged with second degree murder.

2-January 8: A man in his 60s killed his brother before turning the gun on himself at around 1 p.m. in a murder-suicide on January 8 on Plaza Ave. in Montreal North. Their mother was at the home when the tragedy took place.

3- January 16: A man, aged 45, was killed with a machete on 51st Ave near Pie IX at 11:40 a.m.

4-January 21: A 16-year-old boy was shot dead, allegedly by his 12-year-old brother in Dorval. The younger brother is currently awaiting trial at youth court. He faces a minimum three year sentence after pleading guilty on Sept 5 to negligence causing death with a firearm.

5-January 22: Gaetan Gosselin, 69, was shot dead outside of his home on Jean-Tavernier St. in Mercier. He was described as the right hand man of mob boss Raynald Desjardins. Four suspects were arrested and charged in May: Edrick Antoine, 34, Olivier Guay, 30, Stanley Minuty, 29, and Kevin Tate, 29.

6-January 3: Vincenzo Scuderi, 49, was shot and killed near Robert and Bonnivet in St. Leonard. He was suspected of having been part of a drug trafficking ring but had no criminal record.

7- February 1: Lluvia Esther Ramirez Gomez, aged in her 30s, was found dead of stab wounds in Villeray. Her husband Franklin Bencosme Lora, 46, was charged. Two children were in the home at the time of the slaying.

8-April 13: A 61-year-old was found dead on Cobourg Ave. A 27-year-old who was present at the time was arrested and charged.

9- May 3: A 39-year-old man was found stabbed to death on Grenet near Poirier in St. Laurent. Police later arrested a 27-year-old in connection with the crime.

10-May 30: A 20-year-old man was shot to death in Kent Park. Marlon Henry, Rakesh Janie and Shorn Carr were arrested and charged in connection with the crime in December.

11- June 2: A 23-year-old man was shot to death in St. Laurent near Decarie and Côte-Vertu. The victim was found lying injured on the sidewalk and later died of his wounds in hospital.

12- June 22: Tony Koulakis, 86, well-loved longtime owner of the Cosmo restaurant on Sherbrooke in NDG was killed, allegedly by his son Johnny Koulakis, who was charged and sent for psychiatric evaluation.

13-June 26: A 47-year-old man was stabbed to death at de la Gauchetiere near Berri, apparently in a dispute over drugs. Pascal Gendron Rousseau, 21, was arrested and charged in connection with the killing.

14 and 15- June 1: Brothers Jamie Laramee, 37, and Cody Laramee, 25, were shot to death in a bar in LaSalle on Canada Day. No arrests have been made.

16-June 29: A 67-year-old woman was killed in a random attack on the Main. Police arrested a 38-year-old suspect.

17-August 18: A man in his 20s was found stabbed to death near De Chateabriand and Beaubien at about 1:20 a.m.

18-Police opened a file on a murder committed in December 2012 at an old age home on the West Island. The murder of Bobby Charalambous, 82, was not committed in 2013 but police have officially listed it as the 18th murder of 2013 because they count the number of files opened during the year.

19-September 13: A man, 45, was killed in what appears to have been an underworld hit in the parking lot of the Place Versailles shopping Centre at 11:15 p.m.

20-Date unknown: Police opened a murder investigation based on the discovery of  a woman's remains found found near a copper recycling plant in the east end on October 22.

21-October 7: A 30-year-old man was gunned down in an alleyway between St. Andre and Mentana south of Marie-Anne on a Monday afternoon.

22 and 23-October 9: A woman, 29 was shot dead and a man, 30, was stabbed to death in an apartment on des Oblats in LaSalle. Altamond Junior Little, 43, was arrested and charged in connection with the murders.

24-October 16: A 33-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a home on Perras Blvd in Rivieres des Prairies. Her husband Mario Deka, 50, called police to report the crime and was arrested and charged. An 18-month old girl was in the home at the time.

25-November 2: A 55-year-old woman was stabbed to death in a family dispute in an apartment on Acadie near Marcelin Wilson in Cartierville on a Saturday morning. The 51-year-old brother, Edi Afker, was arrested and charged.

26-November 14: A 31-year-old woman was found shot and killed behind an apartment building on Andre Ampere near Fernand Gauthier Ave. at about 6 a.m. on a Thursday morning. The victim was not known to police. She was walking to a white SUV when she was shot multiple times. Two children were brought to child protective services.

27-November 19: Sherri Thomas, 19, was killed at her home in southwestern NDG. Her boyfriend Michael Gero, 23, was arrested and charged in what appears to be a case of domestic violence.

28-November 20: Taxi driver Ziad Bouzid, 45, was shot dead in Cote des Neiges after picking up a passenger in Dorval. Michel Duchaussoy, 43, was later arrested in Boucherville and charged with second degree murder.

Some Montreal murder totals from previous years (unofficial):

1987 - 70

1988 - 62

1989 - 103

1990 - 70

1991 - 77

1992 - 76

1993 - 71

1994 - 52

1995 - 59

1996 - 54

1997 - 49

1998 - 41

1999 - 52

2000 - 49

2001 - 66

2002 - 48

2003 - 41

2004 - 43

2005 –35

2006 –43

2007 –43

2008 –29

2009 - 31

2010 - 37

2011 - 35

2012 - 35