Montreal police believe retired delivery man killed his sons, then himself

Mother discovered bodies of her boyfriend and sons at home

Andy Blatchford
Montreal — The Canadian Press

Published on Saturday, Jul. 24, 2010 8:40AM EDT
Last updated on Sunday, Jul. 25, 2010 10:26AM EDT

A retired Montreal pizza delivery man, distraught that his relationship with his girlfriend might be slipping away, killed their two young boys overnight Saturday before committing suicide, police say.

The boys' mother called 911 after she came home early Saturday morning to find the bodies of the couple's sons, aged one and seven, on the floor of their apartment.

The 33-year-old woman also discovered the body of her 72-year-old boyfriend at their home in the city's working-class Ville-Émard neighbourhood.

“The investigation is pointing to a double murder followed by a suicide at this time,” Constable Yannick Ouimet said Saturday as curious neighbours gathered across the street to watch officers comb the scene for clues.

“I can't go into details, but strangulation is (probably) the cause of death for all three people.”

Autopsies will be performed on the bodies Monday or Tuesday to confirm how they died. Police did not immediately release their identities.

Investigators did not find any obvious signs of a struggle inside the home, Const. Ouimet said.

“This is a tragedy that took place, a father that was maybe feeling lonely, or feeling like the relationship was going away, and decided to take the lives of both of his kids,” he said in front of the three-storey apartment block.

“From what witnesses (said) and from what investigators got so far, that seems to be the story.”

The woman was taken to hospital and was later released.

“Obviously, she suffered a severe nervous breakdown when she discovered the bodies,” Const. Ouimet said.

Investigators from the city's major-crimes unit scoured the home for several hours Saturday.

Police have ruled out the mother as a suspect.

Const. Ouimet says the woman came home early Saturday morning after a night out. She phoned 911 at 1:40 a.m.

“She was probably out like anybody does on a Friday or Saturday night ... to get out and spend some time with friends,” he said.

One neighbour, who gave his first name as Sandrin, says he regularly ate breakfast with the family at a local youth centre. He recalled how the couple argued frequently.

But he said he never would have predicted something like this.

“They were normal people,” said Sandrin, who lives around the corner from the family's building.

Sandrin's children, like many of the kids in the area, played with the couple's seven-year-old boy.

Noel Fleury, who lives down the street, used to work with the man years ago at a local restaurant that served pizza, chicken wings and french fries.

He chatted with the family whenever he'd see them around the neighbourhood.

“We saw them on the road all the time,” said Fleury, who last ran into the family on Tuesday.

“I never had a problem (with him) and I never suspected that something like this could happen.”

Mr. Fleury, 67, remembers the man as a nice guy, and his only complaint about him had to do with the restaurant, which closed down years ago.

He said the man only ever wanted to deliver the bigger orders that would pay him more.

“The others? Forget about it,” he said.

From: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/quebec/montreal-police-believe-retired-delivery-man-killed-his-sons-then-himself/article1650614/