Police officers say a body discovered in Arundel Wednesday afternoon likely belongs to missing man Yvon Lacasse.
“The Suret6 du Quebec is able to confirm a body was found around 5:30 this afternoon by police officers. We can confirm that it was information from the public that led us to this finding,” said SQ spokesperson Marc Tessier. "Everything looks like it is Mr. Lacasse, but we have to wait for the coroner to give a positive ID of this person."
The body was discovered near the Riviere Rouge.
Lacasse's niece, Diane Richer, said she appreciates the apparent closure in the disappearance of her uncle.
"Relief that Yvon's been found, but at the same time the reality that this whole nightmare is a true story now, so it's a roller coaster of emotion, that we're still on the roller coaster. The ride is not done yet," said Richer.
The Sureté du Quebec spent six days searching roads between Lachute and Rouyn-Noranda for any sign of Lacasse, whose vehicle was used by a man accused of abducting his child and killing his wife.
Police were in the municipality of Arundel, about 60 km north of Lachute, on Wednesday after getting tips connected to the disappearance of Lacasse.
The 71-year-old man had not been seen since Thursday Sept. 14.
On Wednesday police would only say that they received a tip from the public about Lacasse's disappearance which has led them to return to the rural area around Arundel with search dogs, a helicopter, and dive teams.
Tessier said the tip was, "specific enough to guide us there."
"We don’t know the route the person used to go to Rouyn-Noranda. Logically, if you’re in Lachute, the 327 leads to the 117, and that leads to Rouyn-Noranda, so that’s why it’s information that it’s probably one of the possible roads that the suspect did use to go to Rouyn-Noranda," he added.
Meanwhile police continue to search for a witness, a person they describe as a man around 40 years old who was seen in Rouyn-Noranda near the man and the abducted child.
This short, obese man is white, with brown hair and a beard, and blue eyes. He stands 1.67 m and weighs 100 kg (5'6", 220 lbs).
The 41-year-old man accused in the case remains in a hospital in Ottawa after serious self-inflicted injuries following his arrest.
The same suspect is the subject of an Amber Alert that began on Thursday evening and lasted 24 hours before he was captured by police.
A court has ordered a complete medical examination of the suspect, who is due in court on Sept. 27 to face charges of second-degree murder.
The man was sedated and in a coma following the injuries, but his defence attorney said he has now opened his eyes. He is not in a physical condition to appear in court, however.
He is scheduled to appear in court next Wednesday in Saint-Jerome, depending on his physical condition.
