Montréal: Man arrested in Philadelphia in 2017 murder case
Ducakis François was arrested in the Philadelphia area on a warrant connected to a 2017 Montréal murder, police said. He is awaiting extradition proceedings.
Crime Canada newsroomPublished
Status
Arrested
Montréal police say Ducakis François, 31, has been arrested in the Philadelphia area on a warrant connected to a 2017 Montréal murder. In a Nov. 6, 2026 release, police said he had been arrested two days earlier and was being held pending further extradition proceedings.
The arrest followed collaboration between the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) and the U.S. Marshals Service, according to Montréal police.
The 2017 case
Police said a 31-year-old man was fatally shot late in the evening of Aug. 29, 2017, in the entrance of an apartment building in Montréal-Nord. Investigators said two suspects had been waiting outside for the victim, and one of them fired the fatal shot.
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It was the 16th murder recorded on the island of Montréal in 2017, police said.
New trial ordered
François and Willy Junior St-Jean were convicted of manslaughter following a jury trial in 2020, according to the SPVM. In 2025, the Court of Appeal determined that both men would have to face a new trial for first-degree murder.
Police said François, a U.S. citizen, had been released after serving his sentence and had returned to the United States. He had been wanted since 2025.
St-Jean, now 39, is in prison for another crime, police said. A date for the new trial has yet to be confirmed.
About these reports
This article is based on the official statement linked below. Charges are allegations; everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Official source: Service de police de la Ville de Montréal