The 59-year-old woman from Estrie, who has been fighting for her life since Friday after being allegedly attacked by her son, succumbed to her injuries. The murder investigation is currently being conducted by the Sûreté du Québec.
Stéphane Lennon was “known” to police, but his last charge was in 2011.
“These were the crimes against the person who took over the file after the death of the victim,” confirmed Sergeant Audrey-Anne Bilodeau, spokeswoman for the SQ.
The Memphremagog Police Board (RPM) originally began investigating the tragedy, which occurred around 4pm on July 14 and was previously considered aggravated assault.
“Paramedics found the victim with severe head injuries,” RPM Lieutenant Carl Pépin said on Monday.
Shortly thereafter, 38-year-old Stéphane Lennon was handcuffed by police. He was in the family home on Bob Road in the small community of Austin in the Eastern Townships.
The victim in that case, Sylvie Compagnat, 59, was found lifeless on the ground thanks to a friend who arrived home for an appointment. Seeing that she had no answer at the door, she walked around the house.
Then she spotted the victim and called the emergency services. It is not possible to say how long ago the assault took place and what prompted the suspect to attack his mother.
However, the police quickly had “serious reasons” to arrest the victim’s son.
According to our information, it cannot be ruled out that a mental health problem is the cause of the tragedy in Austin.
New appearance for murder?
Stéphane Lennon appeared via video conference this weekend to respond to a charge of aggravated assault. The 30-year-old remains in custody.
At the time of writing, it was unclear when new charges related to the murder would be brought against him.
In this case, the RPM had asked the Sûreté du Québec for assistance, which dispatched a team to analyze the crime scene. Due to the death of the victim, which occurred on Monday evening, the investigation was transferred to him.
Stéphane Lennon was “known” to police, but his last charge was in 2011.
He has a history of multiple thefts, assault, mischief, possession of narcotics, possession of burglary tools, possession of crime-obtained property and false documents, making threats, and fraud.