The discovery of a dismembered corpse in Lac Saint-Jean a few days ago has brought back painful memories for relatives of missing persons who can only wait to see if it is their loved one. .
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“Each time, the adrenaline rises and we wonder the same thing: is it him?” Says Caroline Lachance, the mother of young David Fortin, who disappeared in Alma in February 2009 at the age of 14 years old.
Since the beginning of the week, the Sûreté du Québec has been searching the waters of Lac Saint-Jean, near the wharf in Métabetchouan—Lac-à-la-Croix, after walkers found human remains, which would belong to the same person. , a few days apart.
So far, a foot in a boot, the lower part of a body and what appears to be a piece of female clothing have been discovered and sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis.
The state of the body, which would have remained under water for several years, makes its identification particularly difficult. It is therefore impossible to establish beyond any doubt the age, sex or identity of the victim.
A need to know
“After 13 years, it would be a relief to know that this is our David. It would allow us to finally close a chapter,” says Ms. Lachance.
Stéphane Bonneau, the brother of Diane Bonneau who disappeared without a trace in June 2012 in Saint-Félicien, is in the same situation. “When we heard the news, it was a shock. We immediately thought of her. Our mourning is far from over, we need answers, ”said the man.
“Each time a discovery like this is made, it brings back painful memories. We are still crossing our fingers for an outcome,” said Marie-Claude Riverain, niece of Hélène Martineau, who has not been seen since 2017, in Jonquière.
For the president and founder of the organization Meurtres et disappearances irresolutes du Québec, Stéphane Luce, these situations create a lot of anxiety among the families affected.
“The most difficult are the delays between the moment when we know that the bones are found and when we finally have the identity of the victim, sometimes months later”, underlines the private investigator.
Excavations continue
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) continued its search on Wednesday in the hope of finding the entire body and clarifying this story.
About fifteen police officers were deployed, in particular on watercraft and mountain bikes, to comb through the area.
“With the rising waters, the bed and the banks of the rivers have cleaned up a lot in the last few weeks, which could explain the discovery of these human remains there after so many years”, explains Hugues Beaulieu, spokesperson for the SQ.
Analyzes will be necessary to find out if the deceased person was the victim of a murder, an accident or if he took his life.
