A 66-year-old man, Normand Ladouceur, was formally charged with first-degree murder at the Salaberry-Valleyfield courthouse on Wednesday.
• Also read: Arrest of the alleged killer of Mercier: The suspect is said to have stolen the victim’s car
• Also read: A man is wanted for the murder of his neighbor in Mercier
The sixty-year-old was arrested Tuesday by the Sûreté du Québec and questioned in connection with the murder of his neighbor Thérèse Desbiens, 77, allegedly committed on June 27 at the victim’s accommodation on rue Bourcier, in the municipality of Mercier, on the south coast from Montréal.
Normand Ladouceur was detained as he sat in the victim’s red Ford Focus in the parking lot of an IGA in Sorel-Tracy, about a hundred kilometers from the crime scene.
Ladouceur was recognized by a passerby who immediately called 911.
The motive for the crime remains unknown, but during TVA Nouvelles’ appearance on Wednesday, neighbors hinted that Ladouceur may have wanted to attack Ms Desbiens with a view to robbing her, a woman of great generosity who, in particular, had borrowed his car.
Since the apartment building where the drama took place was mainly occupied by seniors, local residents who are used to living in a quiet area are still upset.
A neighbor believes that the suspect exercised unhealthy control over the victim as he was very present in his home.
“He controlled her,” says one lady.
Another woman says that a few days before the tragedy, Normand Ladouceur entered her house and claimed that he wanted to borrow bread from her for lunch.
The sixty-year-old’s posture made her nervous and uncomfortable as he entered the apartment uninvited.
“When I got my bread, it was already behind me,” says the resident of the building. He looked everywhere in my apartment and told me that home was nice and smelled nice. But I don’t wear perfume. He didn’t want to leave anymore, I told him: “You can go now that you have your bread.”
Ms Desbiens’ family chose not to comment.