A 35-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of his intimate partner earlier this week. Betoven Étienne was charged with first-degree murder in the death of 41-year-old Kerline Jean and with assaulting a second person at the Montreal courthouse Friday afternoon, according to the charge sheet. His next court date is Nov. 3. Montreal police were called to an apartment on 39e Street Monday, near the intersection of Paul-Corbeil Street in the city’s Saint-Michel neighbourhood, where they found Jean and pronounced her dead at the scene. Jean and Étienne had similar injuries caused by a “sharp object,” a police spokesperson said. The man, who was considered a suspect by police, was in a coma following the woman’s death. Her death marked the 13th suspected femicide in Quebec this year and the 16th homicide of 2026 in Montreal. Two days earlier in the same borough, a 44-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment. Police found a 51-year-old man at the scene with serious upper-body injuries. He was confirmed to be in an intimate relationship with the victim and was considered a suspect. He later died in a hospital from his injuries.
