A visitation was held Thursday evening for Jolene Riendeau, giving her family and close friends a chance to say goodbye 12 years after she vanished as a 10-year-old from Point St-Charles.
The process was clearly difficult for those in attendance at the Laurent Theriault Funeral Home in Pointe St-Charles.
"It's not easy for us," said family friend Joanne Maille. "Where is she, you know?"
Family members said that it was a packed house inside, and things became emotional as a video of Riendeau was shown where you see her as a happy little girl.
"The mother, she cries all the time," said Jean-Paul Soucy, Riendeau's great uncle. "She's very sad."
The story is indeed a sad one.
Riendeau went to a dépanneur to buy a bag of chip in April of 1999 and never came home, triggering a province-wide search.
Police announced last Wednesday that her remains had been found, and later said she was in fact found by a passerby under a bridge in Nuns' Island back in September.
Police made an arrest in the case last Thursday but had to let the 47-year-old man go, though they say he remains the prime suspect.
The whole process has been extremely trying on the family over the past week, but they are currently focusing on finally mourning the loss of their little girl.
Another visitation will be held Friday morning at the Paroisse Ste-Charles on Friday morning from 9-11 a.m.
Funeral services will follow immediately afterwards, where Riendeau's mother and aunt will speak and parents of other missing children will be in attendance to support the family. Following the ceremony the family will release ten doves, symbolizing the loss of innocence.
In lieu of flowers, the family had asked guests to the visitation to make donations to The Missing Children's Network in Jolene Riendeau's name.
