After a three-day escape, the 66-year-old man suspected of stabbing his neighbor in Mercier and fleeing in his car was found by police on Tuesday afternoon.
• Also read: A man is wanted for the murder of his neighbor in Mercier
Normand Ladouceur, at first sight a man with no history, has been wanted across the province since Saturday for the sordid murder of his neighbor, 77-year-old Thérèse Desbiens. The father of the family was pinned while sitting in the victim’s red Ford Focus in the parking lot of an IGA in Sorel-Tracy, about a hundred kilometers from the scene. Ladouceur was recognized by a passerby who immediately called 911.
Jonathan Tremblay/ JdeM
The red Ford Focus was still being monitored by a Sûreté du Québec patrol officer late Tuesday afternoon before being transported for an assessment.
He was taken to the Sûreté du Québec station, where he will be questioned by investigators about crimes against the person. He is expected to face murder charges against him at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield Courthouse on Wednesday.
Surprisingly, it was the suspect’s family’s steps that led to the discovery of the victim’s body.
In fact, worried about not receiving a message from his father, with whom he regularly video calls, Normand Ladouceur’s son asked another member of his family to go to his home on rue Bourcier in Mercier on Saturday morning.
LINDA GIVES UP FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
Thérèse Desbiens, 77, was the victim of a murder, according to the SQ. She was found dead by police at her home in Mercier, Montérégie, on July 1. FACEBOOK PHOTO / BY LINDA FORGUES ACCOUNT
Since he seemed absent, the person asked the caretaker for help.
“He told me he was worried about this resident, that it was unusual for him not to give messages, so I opened the door with the owner’s consent,” says the one who is paying for the maintenance of the apartment building.
your friend Teresa
When questioning the residents, everyone had the reflex to suggest asking Thérèse Desbiens, their neighbor and friend, if she had heard from them.
“Normand has often done Thérèse favors,” says a local resident who prefers to remain anonymous. He was a bit like her driver, he drove her to the shops, to the hairdresser and in return he was able to borrow her car since he didn’t have one.
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY THE SÛRETÉ DU QUÉBEC
But when the concierge knocked at Madame Desbien’s, he found the door locked again.
Frederique Giguère / JdeM
Thérèse Desbiens, 77, lived on the first floor of this Mercier apartment building.
“So I opened the door to see if it was right and I saw her lying on the floor. I knew she was dead. I immediately closed the door and called 911,” says the concierge.
According to our information, Thérèse Desbiens was stabbed to death in her ground floor apartment. The clues quickly pointed to his neighbor Normand Ladouceur. The motive for the crime remains unknown.
Since the apartment building where the drama took place was mostly occupied by senior citizens, the atmosphere there was particularly tense as the diary perused. Most residents were concerned and shocked, those used to living in a quiet area.
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