'Unimaginable savagery': Man gets life sentence for murdering pregnant wife in 2024
A man who admitted to stabbing his pregnant wife nearly 50 times in Montreal in 2024 has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 22 years.
Mustapha Khalil Mechken pleaded guilty earlier this month to second-degree murder after stabbing Narjes Ben Yedder to death as she slept in their home while she was 10 weeks pregnant.
Ben Yedder's family and friends delivered victim impact statements today at the Montreal courthouse, describing the 32-year-old as a ray of light and a pillar of support for her friends and family.
Ben Yedder's mother told the court in a letter that her daughter had been her source of strength during her recent cancer battle.
She said it's especially hard to accept her daughter's violent death at the hands of a person who was supposed to love and protect her.
Khalil Mechken sat in the prisoner's box with his head in his hands, and asked the family for forgiveness through a statement from his lawyer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 10, 2026.
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