CANADA: Trans-Identified Male on Trial for Triple Homicide Claims Wife Stabbed Herself To Death And Framed Him

A Canadian man currently on trial for the brutal murders of his wife and two young sons has blamed the mother of his children for the slayings. Mohamad Al Ballouz, 38, has been charged with the second-degree murder of his wife, Synthia Bussières, and the first-degree murders of their two sons, Eliam and Zac, aged just 5 and 2 years old. Al Ballouz, who recently adopted the feminine name Levana and has been referred to as a “woman” by Canadian press, argued in court that his now-deceased wife Synthia Bussières was responsible for the murders.

On September 24, 2022, firefighters attended Al Ballouz’s 12th floor condo in Brossard, Quebec, in response to an apparent house fire. Inside, they found Al Ballouz lying in bed between the two children, and a small bonfire of household items had been lit next to the mattress. Bussières was discovered riddled with stab wounds in the bathroom.

All four were rushed to the hospital, but Bussières and her children were declared dead shortly after. Al Ballouz, who was also injured, had reportedly consumed windshield wiper liquid in an apparent suicide attempt, but he was placed under arrest after being treated. Al Ballouz has no previous criminal history.

Representing himself after firing all of his lawyers, Al Ballouz delivered his closing arguments at the Longueuil courthouse in Québec on Wednesday. In his statement to the court, he alleged that Bussières tried to kill him after murdering the children, despite the multiple stab wounds Bussières had suffered. The accused claimed that the boys’ mother had rearranged items in their home to make it look like Al Ballouz had attacked her.

Referring to the panel as “charming members of the jury,” Al Ballouz argued that because expert witnesses were unable to identify with certainty which victim was killed first, it was therefore the case that Bussières had murdered the toddlers before self-inflicting the 23 “superficial” stab wounds which led to her death.

However, according to the prosecution, Al Ballouz stabbed Bussières repeatedly before suffocating the two boys with a pillow. Expert witness Maria Fiorello, a crime scene expert with 20 years of experience, testified that traces of Al Ballouz’s blood were found in many parts of the family’s condominium.

Crime scene photos shown to the jury depicted Al Ballouz’s blood around the apartment, and bags filled with Bussières’ personal items, some of which had been set on fire.

The accused killer’s blood was identified on the walls of the children’s bedroom, inside the shower, on the handle of the front door, on the handle of a mop, and on a box of garbage bags.

“The mop was still wet, so it appears it was used to clean up blood,” Fiorello said. She further explained that in her expert opinion, the location of Al Ballouz’s blood stains indicated he had been attempting to clean up the crime scene. Not only was the mop bloody, but the accused’s blood was on the washing machine, and he had changed his clothes.

The timeline presented during deliberations suggests that Al Ballouz stabbed Bussières before killing the two boys.

At approximately 8:26 p.m. that evening, Al Ballouz had left the family condominium in his car. Ten minutes later, he returned to the building carrying a case of beer. In security footage, Al Ballouz can be seen to have looked directly into the camera while winking – the first time that Al Ballouz had made such a gesture.

A neighbor told the court that screams could be heard a few minutes later, at about 8:30 p.m. “I suggest to you that Synthia Bussières was defenseless, near the bath, while the accused stabbed her in the face, neck and hands. Not a single stab wound. Not two. Twenty-three wounds, including 11 defensive wounds,” stated the presiding Judge Lamoureux.

According to the Crown prosecution, Al Ballouz suffocated his two sons shortly after. Once his children were dead, Al Ballouz detached the apartment’s smoke detectors, then started a fire at the foot of the bed. He drank windshield wiper fluid and lay down between his sons in bed.

Al Ballouz’s trial began on November 11, but during the proceedings it was learned that he now identifies as a “woman” named Levana Ballouz. During his hearings, he appeared in court wearing a blonde, curly wig and nail polish. He is reportedly representing himself after firing his two criminal defense lawyers, both of whom were considered to be among the best in Quebec.

Court illustration of accused killer Mohamad Al Ballouz, who is now claiming to be a transgender woman.

According to CBC, the prosecution had to “warn” the jury that several witnesses would refer to Al Ballouz as a man to preempt any concerns about “disrespect.” Prior to the start of the trial, no previous news coverage had documented that Al Ballouz was expressing a change in his self-perceived “gender identity,” suggesting his claim of being transgender was extremely recent.

Canadian media outlets are respecting Al Ballouz’ new identity, with multiple articles covering the trial referring to Al Ballouz as a “woman” or by using feminine pronouns.

While the trial is expected to last at least 10 more weeks, if Al Ballouz is found guilty and criminally responsible, he would be entitled to request housing in a women’s prison.

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