Government officials say a convicted murderer has escaped from custody in Laval.
Correctional Service Canada says staff at the minimum-security unit of the Federal Training Centre discovered Denis Begin, 58, was missing on Friday.
They say staff made the discovery during the 12:15 p.m. head count.
Begin is currently serving a life-sentence for second-degree murder.
Officials say he has also served two sentences for conspiracy to commit a criminal act.
They're asking anyone with information about the man's whereabouts to call police.
Police believe he could be in Gatineau or the Outaouais region. He was last seen wearing a grey coat and could be travelling in a dark SUV.
Begin weighs 180 lbs and stands 5'5. He's a bald caucasian man with blue eyes, glasses, and a surgical scar on his left arm.
'Halloween killer'
On Halloween night in 1993, Begin entered a bar on Jean Talon St. in Rosemont, wearing a goalie mask and carrying a rifle.
He then charged 19-year-old Ricardo Gizzi – who was also wearing a goalie mask – and shot him in the stomach before running out.
It apparently took onlookers several minutes to realize they hadn’t merely witnessed a Halloween prank.
Begin was convicted of first-degree murder – admitting in court that he was ordered to carry it out because Rizzi had angered rival drug dealers in the area.
In 1997, that conviction was overturned based on an “involuntary” statement given by Begin after his arrest.
He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in front of an appellate judge, reducing his parole eligibility from 25 years to 10 years.
