Gatineau’s first homocide of the year

A march to remember Thérèse Gauvreau

 

Friends and family of the late Thérèse Gauvreau-Allen gathered in the Saint-Raymond neighbourhood in Hull on January 22, to celebrate the life of the well-known woman.

With white and green balloons, hundreds marched in silence to remember and pay homage to the murdered 83-year-old woman. Walkers followed the itinerary the deceased would take during her habitual strolls. Once back at Mrs Gauvreau’s home, at 171 Cité-des-Jeunes Boulevard, the group released balloons in the air, one to celebrate each year of her life.

External investigation requested into 30-minute response time

One participant was Parc-de-la-Montagne-Saint-Raymond councillor Louise Boudrias. She said she would present a motion at council requesting an independent investigation into the police’s unusual response time. This investigation would be on top of the ongoing internal investigation looking to determine why it took police 30 minutes to respond to a distress call.

In a press release on January 20, Gatineau police acknowledged the unusual delay. Police stated that no cruisers were available when the initial 9-1-1 call came in around lunchtime on January 19. In the same press release, police said that their officers respond to roughly 70,000 calls annually in an average response time.

The initial call was from one of Gauvreau’s neighbours living at 177 Cité-des-Jeunes Boulevard. It was about a strange man lurking in the neighbourhood. According to reports, after trying to enter the caller’s home, the suspect, seemingly suffering from psychological distress, headed to the Gauvreau’s home. This is where police later discovered Gauvreau’s body.

After being apprehended near 171 Cité-des-Jeunes Boulevard, Jean-François Dupuis, 21, was accused of second- degree murder.

(LRC)