Scammer
Banned
The teen accused of kidnapping and forcible confinement in the death of Réjeanne Pelletier-Charette is expected to be charged with first-degree murder.
The Crown plans to lay a charge of first-degree murder against the teenage boy already accused of kidnapping and forcible confinement in the death of Réjeanne Pelletier-Charette.
The body of Pelletier-Charette, 82, was found in a nature reserve in Sherbrooke, Que., on Aug. 17, 2010, five days after she disappeared from her home. An autopsy revealed she had been killed with a knife.
The accused, who was 16 at the time, was supposed to have been under supervision at a local school, but he had reportedly run away during a field trip.
The boy, now 17, has already been charged with kidnapping, forcible confinement, theft and possession of a stolen vehicle belonging to Pelletier-Charrette.
The mother of four was last seen near her home in Rock Forest, where she lived alone in the quiet suburb in Sherbrooke that borders on the Magog River.
She visited with friends and family every day, so when no one heard from her over the weekend, neighbours contacted police.
Her car was gone and the door to her home was open, prompting a wide-scale search.
Family relieved
Pelletier-Charette's daughter told Radio-Canada the Crown has new evidence in the case, which is why the prosecutor plans to lay a charge of first-degree murder.
"The case can finally be closed, because this is not something pleasant, it is something painful we've been enduring," said Solange Charette speaking in French.
"We've always had faith in the justice system and now there is a new development. [The case] hasn't been forgotten," she added.
The accused, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is scheduled to be arraigned on the murder charge at the Sherbrooke courthouse on Tuesday.
