Two individuals were met and a search was carried out by investigators from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) following the disappearance of Frédérik Gagné, who was allegedly the victim of a criminal act, in Thetford Mines.
On Monday, the SQ asked the public for help in locating the 32-year-old man from Thetford Mines.
The investigators of crimes against the person, in collaboration with the police of Thetford Mines, established a command post in order to obtain relevant information.
The missing person was reportedly last seen on Friday, December 17.
His vehicle was found in the Thetford Mines area in the evening. According to new information, two men were in Mr. Gagné’s vehicle, but the latter was not there.
The expert appraisals carried out on board the car made it possible to advance research.
“The investigation tends to show that the man could have been the victim of a criminal act,” said Sergeant Louis-Philippe Bibeau, information officer at the SQ.
The two individuals were questioned on Tuesday and subsequently released. They are currently considered persons of interest. The SQ also specified that a search was also carried out.
New deployment
Wednesday morning, the police force deployed new personnel in two sectors of the region in order to “find elements related to this disappearance”. Dog handlers and the Sûreté du Québec intervention module carry out land searches.
“Depending on the progress of the investigation, other specialized services of the Sûreté du Québec could be deployed as needed,” said the police.
“We fear for the safety of Frédérik Gagné,” said Sergeant Hélène St-Pierre.
So far, no arrests have been confirmed by the authorities, but the investigation is progressing.
The disappearance was first reported to the Thetford Mines Police Department on Sunday by relatives of the individual who were worried not to hear from him.
Frédérik Gagné is 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) tall and weighs 86 kg (190 lbs).
Anyone with information to locate him is asked to contact the Criminal Information Center of the Sûreté du Québec at 1 800 659-4264.