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Abducted political aide found dead in cellar
FRANCIS VACHON/THE CANADIAN PRESS
An officer walks by the abandoned house where police, acting on a tip from neighbours, found Nancy Michaud’s body in the basement May 18, 2008.

Quebec town in shock after neighbour arrested in young mother's killing

May 19, 2008 04:30 AM
Sean Gordon
Quebec Bureau Chief

MONTREAL–The frantic search for a missing aide to a Quebec cabinet minister ended horrifically yesterday when her body was found in the basement of an abandoned home.

Hours later, residents of the quiet hamlet of Rivière-Ouelle were again jolted when a local man was arrested in connection with the killing. Sources say the man had helped in the search for the missing woman, Le Soleil reports.

Police discovered the body of 37-year-old Nancy Michaud, who served as a political adviser to Quebec Natural Resources Minister Claude Béchard, in the abandoned house only a few kilometres from her own home in the rural town, about 150 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.

Shortly after the body was found at around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, a Quebec provincial police spokesperson said officers had arrested a 30-year-old man from the town of 1,200.

“He was originally interviewed as a person of interest and a potential witness, and following the discovery of the body he was formally arrested,” said Const. Claude Ross. “We're still at the interrogation stage, he's currently being questioned and if all goes as expected, there will be an arraignment.”

Ross said the man is known to police, and would not speculate on the nature of the charges he could face.

Ross told The Canadian Press that police believe there is only one suspect.

The man is reportedly the grandson of the owners of the disused house where Michaud’s body was discovered, and is known to have had drug problems in the past.

Police also said that in addition to evidence recovered along with the body, information provided by townsfolk was instrumental in making a quick arrest.

Riviére-Ouelle Mayor Roger Richard said the town is badly shaken.

“At least now we have a denouement of sorts. We've found her, and they've arrested somebody, but this is just a terrible shock,” he told the Star when reached by phone.

He said Michaud grew up in the tight-knit community and is a long-time volunteer whose murder will leave a large hole.

“We never would have believed something like this could happen in our town,” Richard said. “It's doubly difficult because everyone is close to everyone else. Both the person who has been arrested and Nancy's family are from here, the families know each other.”

The crucial break in the case may well have been provided by one of Michaud’s neighbours, who happened to see tire tracks in the lawn outside the house where her body was discovered.

François Lévesque was walking near the house, which locals say may have been abandoned for as much as 20 years, with his friend Jean-Christophe Caron when they saw something unusual.

“There were tire tracks all the way around, and they came right up to the front porch, as though someone had wanted to unload something heavy,” Caron told the TVA network.

The two alerted police, who had been searching a nearby grove, and moments later investigators made the grisly discovery.

“I'm glad we were able to find her, but this really is a huge tragedy,” said Lévesque, who lived across the street from Michaud.

“She's someone I knew well, I know her husband and the children, too. It's very sad, especially for the kids. They're good people.”

Michaud vanished late Thursday evening or early Friday – her husband returned from work shortly after 2 a.m. to find the couple's two children, an 18-month-old and a 6-year-old, asleep in bed with their mother nowhere to be found.

Police determined that she had been beaten, taken from her house, and dragged to a waiting vehicle.

Shortly after she disappeared, a man wearing a balaclava was taped by surveillance cameras at the local credit union making two cash withdrawals using her bank card.

Premier Jean Charest released a statement last night, calling the death inexplicable and offering his condolences to the town, which is part of Béchard’s riding of Kamouraska-Témiscouata.

Police have said her job advising Béchard was not related to her disappearance.

Last night Béchard, who had earlier visited with the family, described Michaud as “a mother, a friend and an extremely devoted employee.”

With files from The Canadian Press