QUEBEC — A convicted killer accused of killing a woman at a Quebec City hotel while out on day parole has now been charged with first-degree murder.
The new charge was laid Monday against Eustachio Gallese during a brief appearance at the Quebec City courthouse.
Gallese, 51, had originally been charged with second-degree murder after the body of Marylene Levesque, a local sex worker, was found in a hotel room.
The Crown stayed the initial charge and added the new one during the appearance.
Gallese's case will return to court Thursday for evidence disclosure.
In 2006, Gallese was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 15 years after he killed his 32-year-old partner, Chantale Deschenes, by beating her with a hammer before repeatedly stabbing her.
As part of his day parole, a "risk-management strategy" was developed to allow Gallese to meet women to respond to his "sexual needs" — a provision that has triggered a full federal probe by the Commissioner of Corrections Services and the chair of the Parole Board of Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2020.
The Canadian Press