Jacques Delisle was born on May 4, 1935, in Canada. He became one of the most respected legal figures in Quebec, spending decades on the bench. He was appointed to the Quebec Superior Court in 1985 and later elevated to the Quebec Court of Appeal in 1992, where he served until his retirement in 2009.

His long legal career was marked by professionalism and authority, and by all accounts, he held an esteemed reputation in the judiciary. Delisle lived in Québec City with his wife, Marie-Nicole Rainville, to whom he had been married for many years. Their relationship, however, was reportedly strained in their later years due to her declining health following a stroke.

When Delisle retired in 2009, no one could have foreseen that within months, his legacy would be shattered by one of the most shocking legal cases in Canadian history.

On November 12, 2009, Jacques Delisle’s wife, Marie-Nicole Rainville, was found dead from a gunshot wound in their home in Québec City. Initially presumed to be a suicide, the circumstances surrounding her death drew suspicion from authorities.

In June 2010, Delisle was arrested and charged with first-degree murder—making him the first judge in Canadian history to face such a charge. Prosecutors alleged that Delisle, frustrated by his wife’s illness and burdened by caregiving, had planned and carried out her murder to free himself from the relationship and start a new life with another woman.

His trial began in May 2012, and the case gripped the country. Prosecutors pointed to damning forensic evidence, including the trajectory of the bullet, claiming it was inconsistent with suicide. On June 14, 2012, Delisle was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 25 years.

Delisle did not testify at his trial but later, in March 2015, broke his silence, claiming that his wife had died by suicide using a gun he provided to her. He asserted that she was depressed due to her immobility and declining quality of life. Forensic experts came forward supporting the possibility of suicide, which cast doubt on the conviction.

In a rare move, Federal Justice Minister David Lametti ordered a new trial in April 2021, stating there was "a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred." Delisle’s conviction was quashed, and he was released.

By April 8, 2022, Quebec Superior Court ruled that Delisle would not face a second trial, effectively ending criminal proceedings. However, in an ongoing twist, the prosecution appealed that ruling later in April.

Delisle passed away on August 10, 2024, at the age of 89. To this day, debate continues over whether he was a calculating murderer or an innocent man wrongfully convicted.