Amherst man shot dead, three charged in first-degree murder probe

A single gunshot to the lower back killed Chris Leggett on Prince Arthur Street, and police now say the case has quickly grown into a three-person first-degree murder probe. Two suspects have already been arrested in Moncton, while a third man from Springhill remains wanted.

Amherst police said the fatal call came in at about 6:51 p.m. on April 13, 2026, after a loud bang was heard on Prince Arthur Street and a male was seen on the ground appearing injured. Officers found Leggett, 41, and gave life-saving measures before he was taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police said the shooting left him with a single gunshot wound to the lower back.

Investigators say the violence did not happen in isolation. Police described an altercation near Prince Arthur Street and Church Street before the shooting, then said Leggett fled, returned to Prince Arthur Street and was shot after a vehicle pulled alongside him. According to police, an occupant got out carrying what appeared to be a long gun, fired, and the suspects fled toward Maple Avenue in a dark-coloured Subaru SUV. The plate on that vehicle had been reported stolen earlier in the month from the Moncton area, and police later seized the SUV through Codiac RCMP.

The charge sheet is now stark. Sean Eugene Patriquin, 56, and Natasha Deborah Austin, 42, both of Moncton, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Michael James Ryan, 34, of Springhill, is also charged with first-degree murder and remains at large. Amherst police said they believe Ryan is actively evading police. He is described as brown-haired, blue-eyed, 178 centimetres tall and about 86 kilograms.

Police said the names of the suspects surfaced early in the investigation, and the speed of the arrests suggests investigators moved quickly from a street shooting to a coordinated murder case. Amherst police activated their Combined Municipal Police Major Crime Unit Agreement and brought in the Truro Police Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Cumberland Integrated Street Crime Unit, the RCMP Forensic Identification Unit, Cumberland RCMP, J Division RCMP and the Nova Scotia Medical Examiners Office.

The Town of Amherst said the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre took safety precautions after the shooting, a reminder of how fast a single violent incident can ripple beyond the crime scene. With two accused in custody and one man still on the run, the case now turns on what prosecutors can prove about planning, participation and the role each suspect played in Leggett’s death.