Metro Vancouver Police Arrest Montreal Murder Suspect in Burnaby Operation

Lee Van Smath Germain’s time at large ended in Burnaby, B.C., after police served a search warrant and arrested him on a Quebec murder charge.

Germain was one of three people charged in January in connection with the May 11, 2022 death of Sébastien Giroux in Montreal. The two other accused had already been arrested, while Germain remained at large until police located him in British Columbia.

Wanted in Quebec, arrested in B.C.

Montreal investigators determined Germain had ties to B.C. and worked with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. and Metro Vancouver Transit Police to find him.

That co-operation brought a Quebec murder case into Metro Vancouver, ending with Germain’s arrest in Burnaby after officers served a search warrant.

The arrest moves Germain back into the court process in Quebec, where he is expected to face the murder charge connected to Giroux’s death.

Three charged after Montreal death

The case dates back to May 11, 2022, when Sébastien Giroux died in Montreal.

In January, three people were charged in connection with that death. Two of the accused were arrested, but Germain remained wanted until investigators located him in B.C.

Police have not described Germain’s arrest as an isolated effort. The available account instead points to a file that crossed provincial lines, with Montreal investigators turning to B.C. agencies once they determined he had connections there.

Police cite national co-operation

Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C. said the arrest showed the value of police agencies working together.

“This arrest highlights the importance of strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies across Canada,” Sangha said in a release.

She added: “When police agencies share intelligence and work together seamlessly, there are few places where individuals wanted for serious violent offences can evade justice.”

For investigators, the Burnaby arrest appears to be the result of that shared work: Montreal police identifying a B.C. link, B.C. enforcement officers assisting, and Metro Vancouver Transit Police joining the effort to locate Germain.

Remanded pending Quebec return

After his arrest, Germain appeared before a judge and was remanded in custody for six days pending his return to Quebec.

That return is the next step in the case. Germain is wanted there to face the murder charge tied to Giroux’s death, more than two years after the May 2022 incident in Montreal and months after the January charges were laid.

For now, the case sits at the intersection of two provinces’ justice systems: a Quebec murder charge, a B.C. arrest, and a pending transfer back east.

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