Share this Story : PNI Atlantic News Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

RICK MacLEAN: The serial killer who threatened my family is dead

The phone went ding around 6:30 a.m. That’s when I knew.

Subscribe now to access this story and more:

Unlimited access to the website and app

Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts

Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists

Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.

Unlimited access to the website and app

Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts

Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists

Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.

Access additional stories every month

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting community

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

The rumours reached me early the day before and I reached out to a few people, but by the end of the day, nothing.

I clicked the link attached to the message. It didn’t say much. But it said it all.

“On March 9, 2026, Allan Legere, an inmate from Edmonton Institution, died while in our custody. At the time of death, the inmate was 78 years old and had been serving a life sentence, which commenced on January 22, 1987.

“As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances. CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.”

Psychopath and killer

Allan Legere, the psychopath and serial killer whose story had been entangled with mine for so long, was dead.

I’d known his name for years. He was the boogeyman in my hometown when I was a kid. The guy you didn’t want to know. Didn’t want to know you. Then he killed John Glendenning – the brother of Don Glendenning of P.E.I. The residence at Holland College is named after Don.

Then came the murder trial in 1987.

I was a 29-year-old newspaper editor in the pre-internet age determined to cover the story as best we could. But the reality was stark.

“Radio gets it first,” I told my staff at a meeting to plan our coverage. “TV gets it with pictures. The daily newspapers (there were three) get it the next........

© PNI Atlantic news