“Many questions remain unanswered and, in the absence of new witnesses, there will always be elements surrounding the circumstances of his death that will remain unanswered.”
— Me Luc Malouin, coroner
Me Malouin ends his report by indicating that Eduardo Malpica died by drowning. It makes no recommendations.
“We must therefore conclude that Mr. Malpica Ramos accidentally fell into the St. Lawrence River, possibly near the City of Trois-Rivières, and all of the elements collected during this investigation allow me to place the date at death on November 26, 2022, the last time he was seen alive.
Suicide thesis ruled out
The coroner rules out the possibility that the 44-year-old committed suicide. “Checking Mr. Malpica Ramos’ medical records does not shed any light. The latter was not depressed or suicidal and there is nothing in his medical history that could suggest a voluntary action. The hypothesis of suicide has been ruled out.”
As the Trois-Rivières police had already indicated, the body showed no signs of violence. “[…] the pathologist found no pre-existing traumatic or anatomical lesions that could explain or contribute to the death. In particular, he noted no indication of the intervention of a third person.”
Eduardo Malpica went to a simple happy hour at Café-Bar Zénob, in downtown Trois-Rivières, on the evening of November 25. It was an event of the Trois-Rivières Solidarity Committee (CS3R) where the father of a young boy worked. An argument broke out between Eduardo Malpica and customers of the bar around 2 a.m. on November 26.
The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Eduardo Malpica remain unknown. (Archives)
The coroner does not provide details on this altercation which remains very unclear. Eduardo Malpica was expelled from the establishment. A customer approached him to inquire about his condition.
“According to the latter, Mr. Malpica Ramos had no injuries. He asked him if he was okay and if he had all his belongings. Mr. Malpica Ramos responded positively to his questions.”
They then headed to a church in Vieux-Trois-Rivières, near the port. “This location is in the opposite direction from the residence of Mr. Malpica Ramos. The latter never returned home and never gave any news to his partner despite the fact that he was in possession of her cell phone.”
The coroner recalls that the last person who spoke to Eduardo Malpica was a lady who was at Victoria Park, at midday, on November 26. “He would have left in a hurry when he heard the siren of a vehicle arriving on the scene.”
Those close to Eduardo Malpica have questioned this woman’s testimony. The coroner does not specify whether he spoke to this witness. He does not seem to dispute her version of the facts.
“Despite all the police research, the verification of more than 400 pieces of information transmitted by potential witnesses and the use of social networks, it has been impossible to know what happened between November 26, 2022 at noon and the discovery of the body of Mr. Malpica Ramos on May 31, 2023.”
— Me Luc Malouin, coroner
The questions therefore remain numerous, agrees the coroner. “Where was Mr. Malpica Ramos on the afternoon of November 26, 2022? What did he do? Why didn’t he communicate with his partner or his family even though he had his cell phone with him? These questions will unfortunately remain unanswered.”
The work of the Trois-Rivières police in this matter was strongly questioned by those close to Eduardo Malpica.
“The family of Mr. Malpica Ramos has long questioned the police work in this case. In my humble opinion, their work respected the standards in this area and I do not have the power to comment further on this subject. In the event that the family has grievances against their work, there are authorities to which they can contact,” notes Me Malouin.
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