A well-known hitman was offered 100,000 Canadian dollars ($71,400) to eliminate an investigative journalist from the La Presse network in eastern Montreal, according to reports published today by the same outlet.
Convicted murderer Frédérick Silva admitted to La Presse that he had put out a contract on journalist Daniel Renaud while he was in custody. Renaud had been covering Silva’s trial in 2021, which involved three separate murder charges.
In 2022, Silva was sentenced to life in prison and subsequently became a police informant. The plot to assassinate Renaud came to light during an in-depth review of Silva’s confessions to authorities, according to La Presse.
Quebec Premier François Legault condemned the plot, stating, “It makes no sense for a journalist to have a price on their head simply for doing their job. This isn’t a movie.” He added, “This is not the Quebec we want,” and called for law enforcement to take decisive action against organized crime.
Silva revealed that two leaders of organized crime had approached him during his trial in 2021, requesting the assassination of Renaud. The contract remained active for two months but was never executed. Silva later canceled the order, citing other “more pressing issues,” according to the BBC.
Currently serving a life sentence, Silva had to confess to all his crimes to become an informant.
For his part, journalist Daniel Renaud said he was unaware of the contract on his life and was shocked by the revelation. “I’ve always been careful in my work and avoid disclosing personal details about criminals to minimize risks. I never imagined I would be targeted this way,” Renaud commented.
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