Murder charge while search continues
Ugo Fredette charged in death of son’s mother; SQ seek possible second victim
Ugo Fredette, who was captured by police in Ontario Friday following an Amber Alert, faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of his son’s mother.
Véronique Barbe was found dead in her home St-Eustache on Sept. 14 and an Amber Alert was issued that night for her missing six-yearold son.
Fredette is in a hospital in Ottawa, where he was taken after a suicide attempt in prison over the weekend, according to authorities. He is to be moved to Quebec when his health allows. The son is in the custody of child protective services.
On Monday, the Sûreté du Québec resumed its search for Yvon Lacasse, a 71-year-old man who has been missing since his car was stolen at a highway rest area in Lachute. Police believe Fredette made off with Lacasse’s 2006 Honda CRV.
On Monday, police trained in search techniques were deployed along Highway 117 between MontTremblant in the Laurentians and Rouyn-Noranda in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Police said they didn’t want volunteers to help with the search along the busy highway because it’s too dangerous, said Const. Marc Tessier of the provincial police. “The officers will be getting out of their cars and looking in the ditches to see if there is some indication that we can find Mr. Lacasse,” Tessier said.
In the picturesque Laurentian town of Gore, where Lacasse lives, the town’s mayor, Scott Pearce, described the missing man as “one of the friendliest, most polite community-minded people that I know.”
“He is at every event, at the community breakfast and the mayor’s St. Patrick’s Day dinner where we have Irish stew and Irish coffee,” Pearce said.
Lacasse is the kind of person who waves to everyone when they pass him, he said.
“He is very well liked and I have never heard anyone say a negative word about him.”
When word spread that Lacasse was missing, several town councillors and firefighters searched the woods around the town and up to Morin Heights.
“Our councillors know him so it has been tough for them,” Pearce said.
He said he learned about Lacasse’s disappearance after receiving a call from one of the town’s firefighters.
“When we realized it was Yvon, we put out a call to the firemen and we got down to Lachute to organize a search party.”
Marcel Rose sees Lacasse every month at the town’s community breakfast and said he is a very nice man. “It is stupid that this could happen,” he said of the disappearance.
Yves St-Denis, the local member of the National Assembly and Lacasse’s second cousin, said his family is preparing for the worst, but is still hopeful that Lacasse will be found alive.
“I spoke to his daughter and she is realistic, I am realistic,” he said on Monday, adding that his family is grateful that hundreds of people came out over the weekend to search for his cousin.
“It’s very sad,” said St-Denis. “He is a nice man and he probably saw a man (Fredette) in need and tried to help him.”
A few people turned up on Monday morning at the rest stop in Lachute where Lacasse disappeared, but were told police did not need volunteers.
“I thought I would try to help because I often volunteer and I am fit so I can walk far,” said Johanne Bergeron, who works at a daycare in Rosemont.
“I heard his daughter on the radio and it really touched me. He seems like a good person and I hope he is found soon.”