'There are people burning inside,' witness told 911 operator about fatal arson in Sudbury

David Cheff, the only person who survived a 2021 arson that killed three people in Sudbury, has testified that he smoked crack cocaine with Liam Stinson days before the fire.

Cheff, 40, said he and Stinson both sold drugs; he sold speed and methamphetamines while Stinson sold fentanyl.

Stinson is on trial for three counts of first-degree murder and intentionally causing a fire to a dwelling causing bodily harm.

The fire on Bruce Avenue in April 2021 killed three people: Jamie-Lynn Rose, Jasmine Somers and Guy Henri.

Cheff was cross examined by defence counsel Joseph Wilkinson on Wednesday.

During afternoon testimony Wednesday, Melissa Bergeron, the neighbor who made the 911 call when the fire broke out, answered questions from the Crown. In April 2021, Bergeron was living in Unit 127. The fire happened in Unit 125.

Bergeron, 32, told court she was living in the home with her two children. Her ex-husband and two friends were staying in her unit the night of the fire. She testifed she was in the basement of her unit when she heard someone yell, ‘fire!’

“I looked out my window and could see there was quite a fire going on,” Bergeron told the Sudbury court.

Frantic 911 call

A recording of Bergeron’s frantic call to 911 was played in court. In the audio she is heard saying: “It’s Dave’s house,” in reference to David Cheff. “There are people burning inside,” she is heard telling the dispatcher.

When the dispatcher pressed her for more information, Bergeron told her Cheff was the one who told her there were three people still inside the burning unit.

During questioning, Bergeron told Crown attorney Kaely Whillans she could see someone through the upstairs bedroom window trying to get out.

“It’s a hopeless feeling,” Bergeron told court about not being able to help people trapped inside a burning building.

Also testifying on Wednesday was Ahmed Jalo, 61, also a Bruce Avenue neighbor. He said he was awake during the early morning hours when he heard someone outside yell “Help me, help me.”

He said he ran outside and had tried to open one of the doors at the burning home, but to no avail.

In answering the Crown’s questions on Tuesday, a sometimes emotional Cheff described his relationship with the three victims, and the circumstances that occurred the night of the fire.

During cross-examination, Cheff answered questions about what he knew about the relationship between Stinson and Rose. Cheff said he and Stinson were not in competition with each other and the two had smoked crack together days before the fire.

Tumultuous relationship

In its opening statement, the Crown said Stinson was in a tumultuous relationship Rose, who at the time of the arson had been staying at the Bruce Street residence with Cheff, her friend.

The Crown will try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Stinson gave drugs and money to other men to firebomb the Cheff’s home. The Crown will also try to establish the fire was planned and deliberate.

Stinson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The trial is expected to take approximately seven weeks and will be decided by a jury of 12, plus two alternates.

Four other men have already been before the courts for their roles in the fatal fire, including two men who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson causing bodily harm.

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