Accused of killing Tunisian Lila Ben Salem dies in his prison in Canada

The accused in the murder of Tunisian citizen Layla Ben Salem, Youssef Moussaoui, died inside a detention centre in the Canadian city of Montreal a week after being arrested for investigating. The 33-year-old suspect was transferred from the Montreal detention center known as Bordeaux Prison to hospital after his health deteriorated following an attempt to end his life where he died.

The facts of the case date back to September 22, 2026, when the 45-year-old victim was found murdered after being attacked by a rigid body inside her apartment near the Phil Marie neighborhood in Montreal while participating in a virtual remote business meeting. The Montreal police arrested Moussaoui under an arrest warrant on October 15, 2026, about three weeks after the incident.

A Montreal court formally charged the defendant with premeditated first-degree murder under Canadian criminal law after he appeared before her via visual communication technology on October 16, 2026. Police investigations have ruled out a marital relationship or domestic violence between the two parties while investigative tracks have reiterated the assumption that a financial dispute was the motive behind the crime.

The death of the accused leads to the dismissal of the criminal case against him before the completion of the trial, one of which was scheduled for 21 December 2026. The direct prosecution thus ends the course of the case that has gripped public opinion and criminal investigations in Canada over the past few weeks.

The Office of the Forensic Physician of Canada is continuing independent investigative procedures to uncover the circumstances of the defendant's death inside his cell in preparation for the final report of the incident and its submission to the competent authorities.