Following the arrest of Marc-André Grenon more than 22 years after the assassination of Guylaine Potvin in Saguenay, in April 2000, The newspaper contacted several families who are still waiting for answers, many years after the disappearance or unsolved murder of a loved one.
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For most, it’s a breath of newfound hope as their case stagnates and new information becomes scarce. According to Stéphane Luce, the president of the organization Irresolved Murders and Disappearances of Quebec, the news had the effect of a bomb for several families.
“We have definitely just passed a milestone in the treatment of cold cases with the new technologies we now have. It will give a little boost investigations in the coming months,” he said.
“It’s long, but it’s a good sign”
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Marilyn Bergeron, disappeared in Saint-Romuald.
Andrée Béchard, the mother of Marilyn Bergeron, who has been missing for almost 15 years, believes that the resolution of this murder raises doubts about the investigation methods and the use of DNA that were used before. “It gives hope, that’s for sure,” says Ms. Béchard. But we have time to die before we have the answers”.
The parents of the missing person have a hard time understanding how so many years could have passed without Grenon being arrested, despite the fact that the authorities had his DNA since 2000 and that he has several criminal files dating from before and after 2000. the match did not take place earlier? Wasn’t there a way to do it before? asks Ms. Béchard.
Nevertheless, the parents are delighted with this progress, as well as the peace it brings to the relatives of Guylaine Potvin and to the survivor. “It’s fun to have answers. It’s long, we don’t understand why, but it’s a good sign, if they’re improving,” concludes Michel Bergeron, Marilyn’s father, who hasn’t been seen since February 17, 2008.
When is our turn?
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Danielle Bédard, disappeared in Val-Bélair.
“Whenever a case like this is resolved after several years, the first thing I think of is my sister. We wonder when it will be our turn, ”says Nelly Bédard. His sister, Danielle Bédard, has been missing since September 22, 2006, the day she was last seen at her home on rue de l’Équinoxe in the Val-Bélair area of Quebec. She was 31 at the time.
While a few leads have been checked over the years, investigators have not had any notable investigative elements in this case for some time. Ms. Bédard, however, has the impression that only one piece of the puzzle is missing for everything to become clear.
“It’s encouraging to see that investigators haven’t given up, even after more than two decades. Perhaps new technologies and investigative techniques will one day allow us to have answers, ”she adds.
“David is not forgotten”
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David Fortin, disappeared in Alma.
The resolution of this murder is a sign of the hard work of the investigators, underlines the mother of David Fortin, who has been missing since 2009. “We are happy to see that after 22 years, it has been possible to trace a murderer. It gives hope and it [démontre] that the investigators do not let go, ”argues Caroline Lachance.
The cold cases can sometimes give the families of the disappeared the impression that their case has been dropped after a certain period of time. But Ms. Lachance is certain not and that the advances in investigative technology will also provide her with the answers expected. “David is not forgotten,” she insists.
Ms. Lachance has a good thought for those close to Guylaine Potvin and is delighted with the outcome.
A little light comes on
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Diane Bonneau, disappeared in Saint-Félicien.
Stéphane Bonneau never stopped looking for his sister, Diane, who has not been seen since she left the family home in Saint-Félicien on June 19, 2012. Searches were organized at the time, but the then 33-year-old woman, who left without her belongings, was never seen again.
“My parents and I gave our DNA so that we could identify my sister if we ever find her in any way,” explains Mr. Bonneau. To know that it was the same technology that solved the case [de Guylaine Potvin], it is sure that there is a small light which ignites. »
While the outcome of Ms. Potvin’s story “brings up a lot of memories” for the Lac-Saint-Jean family, it also reinforces their own convictions. “It will take the time it will take, but we are convinced that we will have answers one day or another”.