Drug could be factor in murder-suicide involving former Afghan vet: friend

HALIFAX – A close friend of a former soldier who killed his girlfriend and then himself in their Nova Scotia home says Marc Poulin's homicidal tendencies could be linked to an anti-malarial drug he was required to take before serving in Afghanistan.

Jason Hill, a childhood friend of Poulin's, says he was aware Poulin was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after three tours of duty, but says Poulin had also complained about the rage-inducing side-effects of a drug he had taken prior to his deployment to the war-torn country.

Last Friday, the RCMP confirmed the deaths of 42-year-old Poulin and 45-year-old Jennifer Lynne Semenec in Springhill, N.S., were the result of a murder-suicide.

Both were from North Bay, Ont., and had recently moved to the Nova Scotia town, where their bodies were recovered last Tuesday from a small house following a suspicious fire.

Shane MacDonald, a cousin and close friend of the former infantryman, says the family believes Poulin's PTSD was "the critical factor" in his behaviour.

But Hill says PTSD symptoms may not fully explain the debilitating rages Poulin suffered after he left the military, something he openly apologized for on his Facebook page.