For more than three decades, John and Mary Glendenning were the heart of their small community of Black River Bridge, New Brunswick. From the general store they opened in 1953 on the same property as their home, the couple served their neighbors not just with groceries, but with kindness. John, a 66-year-old Male, and his wife Mary were known as soft-spoken, easygoing, and devout church-going people.
They had built a life together, raising a family and becoming beloved figures in the rural area about 20 minutes east of Chatham. Their peaceful existence, however, was shattered on the evening of June 21, 1986, in an act of shocking brutality that would mark the beginning of a years-long reign of terror.
That night, three men cut the power to the Glendenning's property before breaking into their home and store. The intruders were Allan Joseph Legere and two younger accomplices, Todd Matchett and Scott Curtis. They were met by John and Mary, whom they immediately and viciously attacked. The couple was severely beaten, and Mary was sexually assaulted. After the men fled, Mary regained consciousness to a horrific scene. She found that her husband, John, had been beaten to death. Despite her own grave injuries, she managed to crawl upstairs to a phone and dial for help, remaining on the line with a dispatcher until emergency services arrived.
The savage home invasion and murder of a respected local shopkeeper stunned the close-knit community. Police quickly tracked down the three perpetrators and arrested them. In the subsequent legal proceedings, Todd Matchett pleaded guilty to the murder of John Glendenning and the brutal assault of his wife. Following a trial where Mary Glendenning testified against her attackers, both Allan Legere and Scott Curtis were also convicted. In January 1987, Legere was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 18 years.
Legere was incarcerated at the Atlantic Institution, a maximum-security penitentiary in Renous, New Brunswick. The story, however, did not end there. On May 3, 1989, Legere was escorted from the prison to a hospital in Moncton for treatment of an ear infection. While in a hospital washroom, he used a concealed, homemade key to pick the locks on his handcuffs and leg shackles and escaped his guards. His escape unleashed a new wave of terror upon the Miramichi region that would last for seven horrifying months.
While on the loose, Legere became known as the "Monster of the Miramichi," committing four more brutal murders, as well as arson, rape, and sexual assault. He killed storeowner Annie Flam, sisters Donna and Linda Daughney, and Father James Smith, plunging the entire province into a state of fear. Residents installed extra "Legere lights" in their yards, afraid to be in the dark, and a massive manhunt ensued. The terror finally ended on November 24, 1989, when Legere was recaptured following a hostage-taking and a police pursuit.
In 1991, Allan Legere stood trial for the four murders he committed after his escape. The trial was historic, as it was one of the first in Canada to use DNA profiling to secure a conviction. He was found guilty on all four counts of first-degree murder and received another life sentence. Combined with his prior conviction for killing John Glendenning, Legere was declared a dangerous offender and would spend the rest of his life in prison. Mary Glendenning, described by her sister-in-law as "an angel," survived the attack and lived until 2013, passing away at the age of 89, forever carrying the scars of that terrible night. Allan Legere died in federal custody in March 2026, bringing a final, quiet end to a dark chapter in New Brunswick's history.
