Verdict reached: Guy Turcotte found guilty of second-degree murder

Guy Turcotte leaves the Saint Jerome courthouse on Sept. 14, 2015. (Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Guy Turcotte has been found guilty of unpremeditated murder for the stabbing deaths of his two children, Olivier and Anne-Sophie.

The jury was unanimous in the decision of two counts of second-degree murder on the seventh day of deliberations.

The jury had four possible verdicts to choose from: guilty of first degree murder, guilty of non-premeditated (second-degree) murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not criminally responsible.

The second-degree murder verdict means the jury was convinced Turcotte had the intent to kill, but that it was not planned.

A possible sentence could include 25 years in prison with a minimum of 10 years served to be eligible for parole. He is now detained. A full sentence hearing is expected on Dec. 18.

Turcotte's ex-wife and the mother of the victims, Isabelle Gaston, whispered "thank you" to the jury as the verdict was delivered in the St-Jerome courtroom Sunday. She said she kept a low profile during the case to avoid causing a distraction.

“I was relieved, I was shocked. I would like to stand up and say thank you to the jury,” said Gaston after hearing the verdict.

"Today, I hope the souls of Olivier and Anne-Sophie can be at peace," she said.

"For me, this is the day I can begin to rest. Since their deaths, I've had the impression my life has been a struggle. Now, it's all about healing."

Gaston also said her life will never be the same after the murders.

"Tomorrow, I will not wake up with children."

The Crown called the verdict “satisfactory.”

Retired judge Nicole Gilbault said she believes the Crown’s psychiatrist played a key role when he testified that those who suffer from adaptive disorders, like Turcotte, do not lose tough with reality.

Turcotte never denied that he killed his children on the night of Feb. 20, 2009, but always argued that he was suffering from a mental illness.

During the second trial for the murder of his children, several psychiatrists presented evidence and opinion that Turcotte was not in his right mind the night he stabbed his children.

He argued that he killed his children because he had drunk windshield washer fluid in a suicide attempt.

Several psychiatrists testified that Turcotte was not in his right mind, with Dominique Bourget saying that Turcotte was in the midst of an adjustment disorder and was suicidal.

Bourget also said Turcotte was aware of his actions, but could not stop himself from killing his children.

Psychiatrist Louis Morissette, testifying on Turcotte's behalf, said Turcotte had engaged in an act of "altruistic homicide" because he did not want his children to experience the pain of seeing his body in the morning.

The Crown argued that Turcotte knew what he was doing and killed his children because he was outraged that his then-wife, Isabelle Gaston, was having an affair.

The Crown also believed, but could never definitely prove, that Turcotte drank methanol after killing his children and just before he was discovered by police.

This case went to trial before and in July 2011 Turcotte, who had been under psychiatric care since the killings, was found not criminally responsible.

That verdict outraged Quebecers who felt the jury had made a mistake, and tempers flared again when Turcotte was released from custody in Dec. 2012.

In 2013 the Crown successfully appealed the not guilty verdict on the grounds the judge had made an error in instructing the jury.

Turcotte's second trial for double murder began in September.