The body of a 29-year-old woman was found Friday evening in an apartment in Granby, in Estrie. Arrested a few hours later, her partner was formally charged with second-degree murder late Saturday.
Chloé Lauzon Rivard was found lifeless when police were called to Elgin Street around 8 p.m. Friday. The woman’s body bore marks of violence, said Louis-Philippe Ruel, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM CHLOÉ LAUZON RIVARD’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
Later in the evening, around 10:30 p.m., her partner, Michaël Dugas-Farcy, was apprehended 175 kilometers away, in the Laurier-Station sector, in Chaudière-Appalaches.
The 32-year-old man has several criminal records, including assault and threats against another woman, in 2021. He was acquitted following legal proceedings.
The suspect was met by investigators for a long part of the day on Saturday before finally appearing by telephone. He was then charged with the second degree murder of Chloé Lauzon Rivard.
The man has two young children from a previous relationship, according to our information. The latest photos posted online showed the couple together at Christmas, accompanied by the children, with a Christmas tree and presents in the background.
According to M’s social networksme Lauzon Rivard, the latter was an artist and entrepreneur. In recent years, she notably began selling her handmade products on an Etsy online store.
She “looked sad”
The immediate neighbor of the building on Elgin Street, Carlos, was upset by the events when The Press SATURDAY. According to him, the suspect lived in the accommodation, while Mme Lauzon Rivard came to visit him several days a week.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Carlos, immediate neighbor of the building on Elgin Street
The suspect’s car had not been at the scene for several days before the body was discovered Friday, the neighbor added. Home delivery packages had accumulated in front of the suspect’s door, he said.
The police had to break down a door to enter the accommodation on Friday evening, he relates, still shaken. The man of Chilean origin, a nurse in his country, describes the suspect as an “agitated and excited” man. He did not have close contact with his neighbor. As for Chloé Lauzon Rivard, she often had “her head down and a sad look,” he noted.
“I never thought I would experience something like this,” laments Carlos.
A shaken neighborhood
He is not the only one to be shaken by the tragedy. A neighbor living across the street watched the police action with concern Friday evening. “I immediately assumed it was serious,” he told The Press.
He had heard arguments coming from the apartments in this building before, but did not know the couple personally. On the other hand, according to him, a police intervention with an ambulance had already taken place in the same building earlier in the week. “I am saddened, especially if there were warning signs before. I find that domestic violence is often not taken seriously,” he laments.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
The Elgin Street building
The tragedy occurs at a time when a young woman from Bromont, a neighboring municipality to Granby, told several media about her beating by her ex-partner on December 30. Its goal was to lift the veil on domestic violence.
At the time of the attack, she said to herself : “that’s it, my time is here”, underlined the young woman on Radio-Canada.
With Vincent Larin, The Press
Need help ?
If you are a victim of domestic violence and are looking for help and respite, contact SOS Violenceconjugale at 1 800 363-9010. Workers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you need support, if you have suicidal thoughts or if you are worried about a loved one, contact 1 866 APPELLE (1 866 277-3553). A suicide prevention worker is available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Crime Victim Assistance Centers provide assistance to loved ones of victims of crime following traumatic events: 1-866 LE CAVAC (1 866 532-2822) or cavac.qc.ca.