Pathological jealousy, control of his finances and his job and obligation to “take care of him”: the family of Melvita Devoe, shot dead last week, paints a dark portrait of her union with her husband, now accused of murder of the 51-year-old woman.
The story so far
• Melvita Devoe, a 51-year-old woman from the Philippines, was shot and injured last weekend. She succumbed to her injuries last Wednesday.
• The victim’s husband, Bernard Devoe, was initially charged with attempted murder in connection with the incident. The 83-year-old now faces murder charges.
• The married couple was settled in the Sanctuaire du Mont-Tremblant, a rental complex intended for people aged 55 and over.
The victim’s family describes a relationship that has become harmful in recent months. “Bernard had become really jealous,” explains Melvita’s sister, Marlie Villaquer, in an interview with The Press.
Melvita Devoe met her future husband on a dating app in the summer of 2019. The man quickly offered a serious relationship despite the distance: she lives in the Philippines, he lives in Quebec. He travels to the Philippines in November to visit the woman in his native country. The couple got married on the spot during this trip.
“Everything happened very quickly”, explains the aunt of Mme Devoë, Maria Menor.
His first contact with Bernard Devoe remains cordial. “He didn’t strike me as violent and problematic, but rather cold. He was distant with us. »
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Ambulance in front of the Mont-Tremblant Sanctuary, where the couple resided, on June 12
The family of the deceased had little news after her departure for Canada. “She didn’t say bad things to us at first. “But recently, she had opened up to those close to her: Bernard Devoe was jealous to a sickly point, she said.
“He wouldn’t let her talk to anyone. He always thought she was meeting other men,” the victim’s aunt explained.
toxic relationship
Everything got worse. “They were always arguing about his jealousy,” Ms.me Minor.
PHOTO FROM MELVITA DEVOE’S FACEBOOK PAGE
Bernard Devoë
The defendant, a former soldier, was initially reluctant to let her work, according to the family’s testimony. Melvita Devoe finally managed to convince him. She found a job as a housekeeper at the Grand Lodge, a hotel in Mont-Tremblant.
There was a time when she had to stay five days at the hotel where she works, because he was too angry with her.
Maria Menor, aunt of Melvita Devoe
She had to “take care of him”: Melvita Devoe was often late for work, because she had to take care of her husband in the morning. “She had to take care of him all the time. She was like a slave,” according to Ms.me Villaquer.
“We really think he was using it. She was like his slave. She was afraid of him and had no family in Quebec, ”explains one of the victim’s nieces, who preferred not to reveal her name.
The bereaved family deals with the pain, but also with the expectation. The remains of M.me Devoe will not be repatriated for at least six months, at most a year, according to what the embassy told the niece of the deceased. “They still have to do the autopsy. We want all the help to at least try to understand what happened. »