Hundreds of people congregated outside of the Ozias-Leduc secondary school in Mont-Saint-Hilaire on Saturday night to remember murder victim Daphne Huard-Boudreault as a "wonderful woman" with a "big heart"-- the way close friends and relatives describe her with a wistful fondness.
Huard-Boudreault was allegedly stabbed to death by an ex-boyfriend on March 22, rattling members of the community.
"It was a shock-- it was unforeseeable," explained Marie-Andre Bondu, a friend who helped to organize the vigil.
According to friends, Huard-Boudreault was a woman of unselfish concern: she was "always ready" to help others before considering her own needs.
"People can come together and share anecdotes about Daphne, so we don't stay in this sadness," Bondu explained. "We will remember [good things] to help us during this time of mourning."
Huard-Boudreault’s ex-boyfriend, Anthony Pratte-Lops, was arrested the same day her body was found. He has been charged with premeditated murder.
However, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes launched an investigation last Thursday to assess the conduct of the officers who handled the case. A number of conflicting reports make it unclear exactly what happened the day she was killed.
Some media outlets claim that the police officer who was supposed to accompany Boudreault to reclaim her belongings showed up at the wrong address as she was being attacked.
Other sources claim that Boudreault was dismissed by police officers earlier in the day when she called them to report feelings of uneasiness and fear towards Pratte-Lops, who allegedly showed up at her workplace-- but this information has not been confirmed definitively by police officials.
On Sunday, Huard-Boudreault’s family will hold a service from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Demers funeral complex in McMasterville.
With files from the Canadian Press.
