The discovery of a corpse buried in the backyard of a residence on rue Monseigneur-Courchesne in Nicolet on Friday has caused outrage in the community. Very few answers have been provided by the authorities since then.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) declined to confirm the victim’s identity, but some sources indicate that the body found belonged to Florent Dumas, an elderly man in his fifties with an intellectual disability.
Two of his roommates, Pascal Martel and his son Jason, were charged with insulting a corpse.
One of Florent Dumas ’former spokespersons at the Association of people with intellectual disabilities Bécancour-Nicolet-Yamaska, Chantal Larochelle, said she was upset by the events.
He described the victim as a polite, grateful and shy person. He enjoyed a great deal of autonomy, working at Canadian Tire in Nicolet, he continued.
For Nicolet, it was a tragedy. Everything was shaken. Whether we knew Florent or not, we knew him. […] He was a naive, weak disabled person. It would happen to someone neurotypical, it would be just as annoying, but I think it’s even more offensive that it’s Florent in his weakness to her.mentioned by Ms. Larochelle.
Florent Dumas will be a roommate of Pascal and Jason Martel through a combination of events.
Neighbors who were identified refused to testify publicly for fear of retaliation. They said they have noticed unusual behavior in recent weeks.
These include shouting and cursing and the perception of foul odor. Martel’s dog would have wandered around the place where Florent Dumas’ body was found many times.
The autopsy results could lead to other cases being filed against Pascal and Jason Martel.
There is information from Magalie Masson
Source: Radio-Canada
