Montreal Man Sentenced to Life for Murder of Pregnant Wife

Mustapha Khalil Mechken received a life sentence with no parole for 22 years on Nov. 10, 2026, for the 2024 second-degree murder of his pregnant wife, Narjes Ben Yedder, in Montreal.

Mechken pleaded guilty to second-degree murder just as his trial was set to begin, cbc.ca reported. Judge Marc-André Blanchard handed down the sentence on Tuesday. Crown prosecutor Pierre-Olivier Bolduc and defense lawyer Mélanie Brochu agreed on the joint recommendation.

Ben Yedder was 32 years old. She was 10 weeks pregnant with her first child when she was killed on Jan. 26, 2024.

Mechken took two knives from the couple’s kitchen and stabbed Ben Yedder 49 times while she slept in their bed in the Pointe-aux-Trembles neighborhood, according to a signed statement of facts. Thirty-two of the stab wounds targeted her abdomen.

Police officers arrived at the home to find Mechken with bloody hands, and he was arrested at the scene. During his 911 call made 17 minutes after researching prison sentences, he calmly told the operator he had killed his wife.

Family members traveled from Tunisia to attend the court proceedings. Relatives read victim impact statements highlighting Ben Yedder’s role as a pillar of support and her crucial help during her mother’s recent cancer battle.

You were much more than my daughter, you were my support, my confidant, Ben Yedder’s mother, Neila Ladhari, wrote in a letter read to the court.

Through his lawyer, Mechken asked the family and God for forgiveness, stating that his mental health was poor at the time. Judge Blanchard said he shared the family’s horror upon learning the circumstances of the case.

Cousin Maher Ladhari told reporters that the family felt satisfied and relieved with the judicial outcome, noting they could now begin to mourn far away from the courts. Another cousin, Khalil Ladhari, said he still does not understand the motive behind the attack.