The 28-year-old man with a long legal record settled part of his cases on Tuesday at the Quebec courthouse.
Michel Petit died on October 26, 2021 from stab wounds in the Pyramide parking lot, in the Sainte-Foy sector of Quebec.
The night following the murder, Cédric Duchaine was arrested by Quebec police as a suspect. Only charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to murder committed in March 2020 in Val-Bélair had been filed against him. There was then no question of the murder of Michel Petit.
It took a year for him to be arrested and then charged in this case.
After several proceedings and changes of attorneys, the parties agreed to settle the case under a reduced charge, given the admitted facts. Duchaine remained unmoved in the detainee box during all the procedures on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in front of several members of Michel Petit’s family.
Cédric Duchaine pleads guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter. (Facebook)
Michel Petit died at the age of 37. He was described as a generous man with a big heart by those close to him. His sister, Stéphanie Petit, spoke in the media during the long police investigation which finally led to the arrest of the culprits.
She reiterated Tuesday that no matter what stage of the legal process, it won’t bring her brother back.
Deadly Encounter
Shortly before 9 p.m. on October 26, 2021, Michel Petit was found injured near the Pyramide parking lot. He is injured in the abdomen and arm. His death was pronounced at the hospital. The victim was known to law enforcement for his drug trafficking activities.
Several images from surveillance cameras in the surrounding area were captured in the days following the murder. The police are able to see the entire altercation on video.
Michel Petit therefore meets a first suspect in the parking lot, identified as Cédric Duchaine. The latter is dressed in black, with a hooded vest. They shake hands and walk together quietly.
Michel Petit died on October 26, 2021. (Facebook)
The rest of the events remain subject to a publication ban, as the second suspect in this case has not settled his cases. Élie-Samuel Bazinet returns to court on Thursday.
Bread making
At the time of the murder, Cédric Duchaine was already the subject of an investigation for being at the head of a vast drug trafficking network in the Quebec region. He was therefore quickly located, as the police already had an eye on him.
The man who was 26 years old in 2021 was arrested the day after the death of Michel Petit. He is met by investigators and admits to having met the victim in the parking lot, but denies being involved in the murder.
He is not charged for the event, but remains in custody for several other offenses. The investigation then makes it possible to analyze multiple images from surveillance cameras as well as the contents of several seized cell phones.
A fortnight before the murder, Cédric Duchaine revealed to an accomplice that he had problems with Michel Petit, concerning the sale of narcotics. He was the one who organized the meeting in the Pyramid parking lot.
After the murder, Duchaine ended the evening at a friend’s house and did several searches on the web regarding current police activities.
To date, the accused denies having intended to kill Michel Petit in October 2021. He denies having any knowledge that the victim would die during the meeting he had planned.
The prosecution led by Me Jean-Sébastien Lebel agrees that the verdict of involuntary manslaughter would be more likely in the case of a trial, given the facts of the case.
A life of luxury
Cédric Duchaine took the opportunity on Tuesday to plead guilty to seven drug trafficking charges.
The 28-year-old man led a drug network which mainly supplied cocaine in the territory of Quebec City.
The investigation for this network was carried out by the MALSAIN squad and took place between June 2020 and December 2021. In addition to Duchaine, ten other people were arrested.
Investigators carried out 85 physical surveillances, 68 judicial authorizations, one surreptitious entry, 16 infiltrations on two individuals and 10 searches.
Analyzes reveal that Duchaine was responsible for the sale of tens of thousands of methamphetamine tablets as well as 125 kg of cocaine.
For example, the network sold five to six kilos of cocaine per week during the month of February, and Duchaine made a profit of $500 for each 250 grams sold — which represents more than $10,000 per week.
The investigation shows that Duchaine paid for, among other things, luxury vehicle rentals (Lamborghini), Rolex brand watches and brand sunglasses.
Several photos were also found in the seized cell phones, showing members of the group with prohibited weapons, bags of drugs and piles of money.
The punishment
Sentencing submissions were postponed. The sentence will therefore be pronounced at a later date. The lawyers have already warned the court that they will have an agreement. Cédric Duchaine must first settle other cases before the Court of Quebec.
He is also accused of trying to cause the death of Maxime Maheux while he was in detention in July at the Quebec prison. Maheux, associated with the Blood Family Mafia (BFM) group, had just pleaded guilty to certain charges for his involvement in various violent events.
A stay of proceedings was declared for the charges of conspiracy and attempted murder in Val-Bélair.
Cédric Duchaine has been detained since October 2021. The second suspect accused in the case, Élie-Samuel Bazinet, returns to court on Thursday.
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