Martin Carpentier, the father of little Norah and Romy who had held Quebec in suspense during a long Amber alert in July 2020, would then have experienced an episode of major depression with “probable psychotic symptoms” when he fled with the two girls, reveals the coroner’s report.
On July 8, 2020, Martin Carpentier disappeared in the evening with his two daughters after taking them to eat ice cream. His vehicle was found in an accident that same evening on the edge of Highway 20 near Saint-Apollinaire, east of Lévis.
An Amber alert is then issued and the search is concentrated in a nearby wooded area.
The remains of the two girls were found on July 11 in the forest. Norah, aged 11, and her sister Romy, aged 6, were killed with a blunt object, it is written in the report of the coroner Me Sophie Régnière.
Martin Carpentier’s body was not found until July 20. The 44-year-old hanged himself from a tree.
As there was no indication that he could present a danger to his daughters, the Amber alert was delayed and the discovery of the three bodies left many questions in its wake: why Martin Carpentier killed the girls before take their own life?
The coroner’s report contains some possible answers since a “psychological autopsy” was carried out.
Me Régnière writes that he looked at two possible scenarios to explain the tragedy: a real car accident which would have nevertheless constituted “the breaking point” for the father, or even intentional actions on his part.
The psychological autopsy reveals that Martin Carpentier’s attending physician was wondering about possible depression. The man feared that his daughters would be taken from him. He was not Norah’s biological father, even though he had adopted her from birth. When he separated from his mother, this anxiety rose to the surface and was then revived when she made arrangements for the child to have contact with his biological father. Later, when the mother made a new partner, he became even more anxious.
In the weeks preceding his death, he held a “rambling” speech, convinced that his children would be taken from him.
To this were added other stresses: Martin Carpentier had taken steps to divorce the mother of the girls. The day of his escape, he had received from his lawyer a draft divorce application, “which could have been a trigger for the events”, according to the coroner.
That same day, he texted his current spouse “akin to farewell messages.” According to the report, the scene of the accident may suggest that Martin Carpentier was looking to collide with another vehicle. However, he hit the median and traffic signs, losing control of his car for nearly 230 meters.
For all these reasons, the coroner decided that she could not rule out the intentional act: “the failure of this attempt to die with his daughters constitutes a point of no return for Mr. Carpentier”.
He “would therefore have presented, according to the conclusions of the psychological autopsy, an episode of major depression with probable psychotic symptoms, and it is in this state of mind that he would have ended the days of his daughters and him. -same “.
The coroner’s recommendations
Me Régnière suggests that the Ministry of Public Security review its criteria for triggering an Amber alert: they must aim more broadly, she said, after stressing in her report that it should have been launched on the air more quickly.
It also encourages the Sûreté du Québec to analyze everything it did during its investigation to determine what worked or not, as well as to review its communication protocols in emergency situations.
She recommends that the College of Physicians evaluate the actions of Mr. Carpentier’s family doctor, who initially refused to disclose information to the police, and to the Ministry of Health, she suggests developing a clear directive so that physicians understand their obligations to share information in an emergency context.