The human bones found on Saturday morning by a hunter in a wood in the Eastern Townships could be those of a sexagenarian from the region who has been missing for more than a year.
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Everything suggests that the body found in a rural setting in Melbourne is that of 67-year-old Richard Lemieux. His family was met by the police yesterday to tell them of the discovery.
“Items belonging to him would allow the victim to be identified,” explained Stéphane Tremblay, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
Before confirming the identity, however, the bones must be analyzed at the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine, he said. The causes and circumstances of death also remain unclear.
Since April 2021, the man from Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton was actively sought by his relatives. He was last seen leaving his home on foot.
Never without his dog
“He had a little dog and he never left without him. It was very weird,” recalls André Laurin, owner of the building where Richard Lemieux lived.
He described his tenant as a quiet man who took his pet out for a walk every day and “lived his little life without disturbing” anyone.
Photo QMI Agency, Thierry Laforce
Sniffer dog, helicopter, beaten, divers to search the waterways: many searches had been carried out after the disappearance of Richard Lemieux by the SQ as well as volunteers and members of his family, but in vain.
“No clues, nothing had been found. I think of his relatives who asked themselves so many questions and who were eager to have answers. I hope that they will be able to live their mourning, ”drops André Laurin at the end of the line.