The father, who killed his two children in Lanaudière on Saturday afternoon, was arrested for molesting his ex-spouse before being released two days before the tragedy, according to a friend of the suspect.
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“The breakup was already bad for him, but I think it was really his arrest that made the difference. It was a great shock to be arrested in front of his children. He felt humiliated,” says Patrick Boucher, a longtime friend of Ianik Lamontagne.
When he turned on the television on Sunday morning, he learned the terrible news. The day before, his friend had murdered his two children, Antoine and Tristan, twins aged three and a half, before taking his own life at his residence in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies.
First, Patrick Boucher didn’t want to believe it. But as he thinks back to the days before the tragedy, he wonders if there weren’t any warning signs.
“We should see each other with our children at the weekend. I knew he wasn’t doing well since his arrest and I wanted to be there for him,” he says, still upset.
According to our information, Ianik Lamontagne should not have custody of his children at the weekend. However, he made the request to his ex-spouse, who accepted it.
“I called him on Friday so we could see each other. But he replied that he couldn’t do it this weekend,” says Mr. Boucher.
The day after the tragedy, rue Patrick was deserted, despite being full of police on Saturday night. It was determined that there were still traces of blood on the grounds of the residence.
The forensic investigation includes investigating the circumstances that led to this double murder.
A terrible tragedy
According to our information, the suspect’s ex-wife called the police after discovering microphones in her home and a GPS device in her car. Ianik Lamontagne, who worked for a cybersecurity company he founded himself, was finally arrested at home last Wednesday. However, he was reportedly released immediately.
On his LinkedIn page, the family man describes himself as a “lifelong computer enthusiast”.
As Le Journal reports, Ianik Lamontagne is said to have suffered from severe depression. According to Patrick Boucher, he was still fine. The one who would have recently changed his first name to ‘Ian’ was on medical treatment and had plans to renovate the house and build a swimming pool for his children.
“I spoke to him almost every day. I never thought he could have done that. He wasn’t a violent or impulsive type. In my opinion, there should have been a follow-up after his arrest. Make sure he’s okay,” adds Mr. Boucher.
However, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) would not confirm the arrest.
No investigation at the BEI
For its part, the Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) confirmed to the Journal that it had been contacted by the SQ in this case.
The organization is always called upon to intervene if a person is injured or dies during a police operation.
“The BEI has all the relevant information for the analysis. “The BEI believes that the requirements and criteria of the law are not met,” the email said.
According to our research, no charges have been filed against Ianik Lamontagne in the past few days. The 40-year-old had no criminal record.
Former SQ investigator Paul Laurier argues that when it comes to harassment, police swim through certain gray areas.
“They will take into account the testimony of the victim and those around him,” he says.
“If the person [a des ecchymoses]Harassment ensues, but she is also beaten. […] There are bruises, cuts, children are beaten. You will act differently because you have doubts that it is something even more serious,” adds the founder of Vigiteck, specialized in cyber investigations.
Officers take into account whether interventions have also taken place in the past.
According to the various articles of the penal code, “imprisonment is the exception, not the rule,” summarizes Paul Laurier.
– In collaboration with Maxime Deland
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