Disappearance of Madison Roy-Boudreau: police suspect Steven Laurette

Police suspect Steven Laurette of having kidnapped and killed young Madison Roy Boudreau almost four years ago in Bathurst. This is revealed by court documents that were sealed until now.

Madison Roy-Boudreau, 14, went missing in May 2021. Police believe she was the victim of a homicide, but have never explained how they came to that conclusion.

No one has been charged in connection with his disappearance and presumed death. The police are sparing with details about their investigation, leaving plenty of room for a host of rumors and theories about what happened to the teenager.

Only one suspect

From the start, a name linked to this affair has raised questions and been shrouded in mystery: Steven Laurette.

This man in his 40s was close to Madison’s family. At the time of Madison’s disappearance, he was awaiting trial for sexually assaulting another 14-year-old. He has since been convicted of the crime.

The Bathurst police chief mentioned the name Steven Laurette during a press conference on Madison’s disappearance on May 27, 2021. He cast doubt and would not say whether he was a suspect or even a person of interest.

Thanks to documents obtained by - Acadie after nearly two years of court proceedings, we can today report for the first time that Steven Laurette is indeed suspected by the police of having killed Madison Roy -Boudreau.

The documents also provide a better understanding behind the scenes of the police investigation and reveal some information about what the police allegedly discovered when they searched the vehicle in which Madison got into before disappearing.

Madison gets in the van

On May 11, 2021, Madison left the accommodation where she lived with her father. It’s about 7:30 a.m. She’s walking toward her school bus stop, a few hundred yards away.

According to documents filed in court, she willingly got into a gray 2007 Ford Ranger van. Police believe the vehicle was driven by Steven Laurette, 42, whom she knows.

On May 13, Steven Laurette was arrested. He was charged with breach of condition. The charge was later withdrawn.

At the time, he was accused of sexually assaulting another 14-year-old girl. He was on conditional release while awaiting trial.

Hair and of potential on the passenger seat

On May 14, Bathurst police obtained a search warrant to search the Ford Ranger pickup truck driven by Steven Laurette. She wants to look for personal items, fibers, bodily substances and fingerprints left by Madison. At 8:40 p.m., a sergeant seized the van.

On May 15, members of the Bathurst police carried out an initial search.

According to their report, they found several strands of fibers in debris in the bed of the truck and two hairs on the passenger seat. They also say they took a substance described as of potential on the passenger seat cover.

The police also allegedly seized Steven Laurette’s driver’s license and a receipt from the store Giant Tiger dated May 11, 2021 – the day Madison disappeared. This piece of paper seems insignificant, but will become relevant later.

On May 16, the police obtained a search warrant to search the Samsung cell phone that was in Steven Laurette’s possession at the time of his arrest. The device is taken to the forensic laboratory of the GRC in Fredericton.

The next day, RCMP members searched the van and took impressions of its tires. They also seize an ATM card.

Intensive research

A few days later, searches were carried out in a quarry, followed by aerial searches. On August 9 and 10, underwater searches took place in the Middle River area, south of Bathurst.

Police say they have seized additional evidence. On August 11, the chief of the Bathurst police force announced that Madison was the victim of a homicide.

As this is an active homicide investigation, we cannot name the primary suspect.says chef Stéphane Roy in a video sent to the media.

Behind the scenes action

Behind the scenes, it’s a different story. In a document filed in court on August 13, 2021 to obtain a new search warrant for the Ford Ranger pickup truck, Bathurst police say they believe Steven Laurette kidnapped Madison Roy-Boudreau and that he killed.

On August 17, the van was towed to the premises of the GRC. An in-depth search is carried out and allows the seizure of a long list of objects.

Police say they found tools and trash. She also vacuumed to pick up debris and also found a long brown hair.

A week later, the GRC allegedly sent four objects to his Ottawa laboratory for analysis: a dirty dishcloth, a snow brush with red stains and two pieces of fabric from the passenger seat.

Shoes purchased at Giant Tiger

In August 2021, three months after Madison’s disappearance, Bathurst police obtained a search warrant to seize the blue shoes worn by Steven Laurette during his arrest.

In an affidavit filed in court by a corporal of the GRCwe learn that the police determined that Steven Laurette would have gone to the store Giant Tiger of Bathurst, on May 11, 2021, approximately three hours after the disappearance of Madison Roy-Boudreau.

Police say when he entered the business he was wearing brown shoes. He bought blue athletic shoes. A few minutes later, he was seen wearing blue shoes.

The body still not found, a hindrance to the investigation

An important fact remains to be noted in this matter. Even though the police have believed since 2021 that Steven Laurette kidnapped and killed Madison Roy-Boudreau, they have still not accused him of having committed these crimes and these theories have not been tested in court.

This man, now 45 years old, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for having sexually assaulted another teenage girl in the Petit-Rocher region between December 2018 and March 2019.

In an affidavit filed in May 2023, Corporal Éric Dupuis of the GRC provides insight into what could explain why the case has not yet been closed by the police.

I believe that the fact that Madison Roy Boudreau’s body has not yet been found adds a significant level of complexity to the investigation and largely explains the slow progress of the current investigation.we read in this document obtained by - Acadie.

The GRC said he did not want to grant an interview following the publication of these documents. She says she does not publicly confirm that a person is the subject of an investigation unless operational need or if charges are filed in court.