![\"3600](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0409-city-pinel_020cbe.webp.jpeg\")
3600 St-Antoine St. W. condos, where Conor Patrick O\u2019Loughlin (inset) was killed, seen in Montreal on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Allen McInnis \/ Montreal Gazette\/LinkedIn<\/p>\nHours before he was stabbed to death, Conor Patrick O\u2019Loughlin shared the hopes and dreams he had for his future during a long conversation with close friends.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old homicide victim\u2019s final hours were detailed at the Montreal courthouse on Tuesday by Jonathin Lin, O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s close friend who was visiting from British Columbia when the slaying took place in the Sud-Ouest borough two years ago. <\/p>\n
Lin, 29, was testifying at the trial of Chad and Jayden Pinel, 22 and 19 respectively, two brothers charged with second-degree murder in a trial being being heard by a jury. <\/p>\n
While answering questions from prosecutor Philippe Valli\u00e8res-Roland, Lin said that in the hours before the fatal stabbing, he, O\u2019Loughlin and other friends decided to grill some food, and they went to a bar on St-Antoine St. W.<\/p>\n
At some point that night on May 18, 2024, the friends paused at a picnic table in a park in Old Montreal and had a long conversation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talked about our goals, our ambitions and our futures,\u201d Lin said. <\/p>\n
Hours later, O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s future was snuffed out. <\/p>\n
3600 St-Antoine St. W. condos, where Conor Patrick O\u2019Loughlin (inset) was killed, seen in Montreal on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Allen McInnis \/ Montreal Gazette\/LinkedIn<\/p>\n
Lin said that during the early morning hours of the day in question, the group of friends returned to O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s apartment building at 3600 St-Antoine St. W. and could hear music coming from the first-floor apartment where two of O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s neighbours resided, close to O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s apartment.<\/p>\n
The jury has been told that the Pinel brothers were inside the neighbouring apartment where two young women resided. All four had partied that night at a bar in Old Montreal and later at the Montreal Casino.<\/p>\n
One of the women testified on Monday and said all four were \u201cexpelled\u201d from the Montreal Casino because she and her roommate pocketed poker chips they grabbed from a dealer\u2019s table. She said she assumed the chips were free and that a security guard ordered them to leave to casino less than an hour before O\u2019Loughlin was stabbed. <\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0415-city-pinel.jpg\")
An image recorded by a camera at the Montreal Casino of Chad Pinel (left, wearing a white shirt) and Jayden Pinel (right, wearing a black shirt), hours before Conor Patrick O\u2019Loughlin was killed. The Pinel bothers are charged with second degree murder. Court files<\/p>\n
\u201cConor was interested in what was going on (because of the loud music),\u201d Lin said, adding O\u2019Loughlin decided to knock on his neighbours\u2019 door.<\/p>\n
\u201cConor was smiling and knocking on the door, but no one was answering,\u201d Lin said. \u201cI didn\u2019t think much of it. I went to the bathroom (in O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s apartment).<\/p>\n
\u201cAt some point, I heard a commotion. A lot of barking (from a dog). I opened the (bathroom) door and Conor was lying on the ground with (their common friend) Liam next to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lin said that when he realized his friend\u2019s abdomen was lacerated, he called 911 and asked for help, but at some point one of the Pinel brothers grabbed his cellphone from his hands and threw it back in his direction.<\/p>\n
All the while, Lin recalled, O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s girlfriend was in the hallway arguing with the Pinel brothers. He said he asked O\u2019Loughlin\u2019s girlfriend to get back inside and closed the apartment door. <\/p>\n
Minutes later, Lin said, police officers arrived at the crime scene.<\/p>\n
The two women who were with the Pinel brothers have already testified in the trial. They gave different accounts of what might have been behind O\u2019Loughin\u2019s decision to knock on their door. <\/p>\n
The primary language of both women is Spanish and they told the jury they have difficulty understanding English. They said they didn\u2019t fully understand the exchange between O\u2019Loughlin and the Pinel brothers. One said O\u2019Loughlin might have complained about the loud music while the other said O\u2019Loughlin might have asked if he could come inside and enjoy the music with them.<\/p>\n