Man charged with murders of three women in Quebec
SHAWINIGAN, Que. — A 51-year-old Quebec man was charged Thursday with killing three women in a town northeast of Montreal, at least two of whom were family members.
Sylvain Duquette was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one charge of attempted murder with a firearm, one count of unlawful confinement and an arson-related offence.
Crown prosecutor Vicky Belleville said the attempted murder and confinement charges relate to the accused’s father, Claude Duquette, 80.
One of the women, Denise Halle, was the suspect’s sister-in-law, while the second, Jocelyne Pellerin, was his father’s wife, Belleville said.
While the identity of the third woman killed has not yet been released, police said the suspect knew all three of them.
The events all took place within a short distance of each other in this city, about 170 kilometres northeast of Montreal.
Duquette appeared briefly in court on the allegations against him on Thursday after being arrested earlier in the day at a gas station north of the city.
The accused, handcuffed and wearing a white hooded prisoner’s garb, appeared to peer intently at the people in the courtroom.
Duquette will remain in detention until his next court date on April 13.
His lawyer, Karine Bussière, said she hadn’t decided whether she will seek bail for her client.
Provincial police spokesman Marc Tessier said the slain women were 56, 61 and 70 years old.
The director of the local volunteer fire station said a 911 call came in about11:45 p.m. Wednesday about a fire in a building.
Denis Boutin said the blaze was out by the time firefighters arrived.
The accused’s father was wounded in that home before fleeing and alerting a neighbour.