The murder of Michael Fitzpatrick Lévesque, which occurred on November 29 in Rimouski for which no suspect has been arrested more than a month later, prompted Le Soir.ca to take a look at unsolved crimes in Bas-Saint- Laurent who are still active at the start of 2025.
The Sûreté du Québec’s unsolved case team is still working on 10 unsolved crime cases in Bas-Saint-Laurent.
A website was set up in 2022 by the SQ in order to obtain information from the general public that could enable the outcome of investigations into unsolved murders and disappearances.
According to this site, the files of Paul Côté from Rimouski, André Carrier and Edward Dufresne from Matane, Suzanne Gilbert and Denise Picard from Saint-Simon-de-Rimouski, Adrien Allard from Causapscal, Charles Gosselin and Jean-Nil Malenfant from Saint-Pierre -de-Lamy as well as Éric Gagnon and Jacinthe Tremblay from Trois-Pistoles are still active.
These are the same as in 2024. No new cases, but none resolved.
A few years ago, the death of Rimouskoise Sonia Raymond, on a beach in Maria, was part of this list, but it was resolved, proof that it is possible to advance investigations even several years after the events.
Probably the victim of a murder
On June 13, 2000, Paul Côté left his home with a .44 caliber handgun in his possession and he has not been seen since.
His vehicle, a black 2000 Chevrolet Blazer, was located on June 18, 2000 in the backyard of the Marché Métro Sirois in Rimouski and according to witnesses, the vehicle had been there for several days.
The investigation reveals that Mr. Côté was probably the victim of a murder.
He was never seen again
Éric Gagnon, 27, was last seen on the night of May 26, 1996, around 1:30 a.m., while he was driving a friend back to the Le Bellevue bar in the Trois-Pistoles area.
The elements of the investigation suggest that he returned home afterwards. However, he will never be seen again.
According to those around him, Mr. Gagnon had an appointment that he was looking forward to, scheduled for the days following his disappearance.
He wouldn’t have missed it on purpose.
Two teenage girls found lifeless
On August 10, 1967, Suzanne Gilbert and Denise Picard, two 17-year-old girls, were found lifeless in a chalet on Chemin de l’Anse-à-Pierre-Jean in Saint-Simon-de-Rimouski.
The two teenagers lived in Montreal.
Victim of an attack
Jacynthe Tremblay was murdered on December 21, 1978, somewhere between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., in her apartment at 334, rue Jean-Rioux, in Trois-Pistoles.
Analysis of the crime scene showed that the victim had struggled to defend himself against his attacker.
The 23-year-old young woman was working in restaurants at the time of her disappearance and was very popular with the people she knew.
Members of her family want to know the truth and the reason for the savage attack suffered by Jacynthe Tremblay.
Two files in Matane
On September 9, 1982, during the closing of the Provigo food market located on rue du Phare in Matane, an individual with a masked face showed up, armed, in order to commit a robbery.
André Carrier gave him the deposit bag containing the day’s receipts and he then tried to pursue the thief.
The latter turned around and fired at Mr. Carrier. He co-owned the food market with his brother, Georges Carrier.
On April 18, 1993, a neighbor of Edward Dufresne reported his disappearance to the Sûreté du Québec at the Matane station.
The 81-year-old man lived alone in a small house along Route 132.
He was still very active despite his age, regularly walking along the roads where he collected mussels from the water’s edge.
Mr. Dufresne also went to the forest to hunt small game. He was never found.
Home invasion
On February 10, 1979, around 7:15 p.m., two individuals dressed in snowmobile clothes and hooded men showed up at the residence of brothers Adrien and André Allard, in Causapscal.
The suspects were in possession of firearms.
During the event, the brothers defended themselves and Adrien Allard died from his injuries.
Two deaths in suspicious fire
On July 16, 1998 around 1:30 a.m., two bodies were found in a completely burned chalet in Saint-Pierre-de-Lamy.
The tenant of the premises, Charles Gosselin, 45 years old, and his friend, Jean-Nil Malenfant, 64 years old, were found in the rubble. The origin and cause of the fire remain suspicious.
For all of Quebec, 418 cases are listed as unresolved.
Any information that could help solve these crimes can be communicated to the Criminal Information Center of the Sûreté du Québec, at 1 800 659-4264.
Alexandre D’Astous, Local Journalism Initiative, Journal Le Soir
