Man accused of necrophilia in case of slain Quebec aide wrote:MONTREAL — As citizens of a rustic Quebec village try to cope with the brutal abduction and killing of a popular political aide, the man charged in her death is now also accused of necrophilia and sexual assault.
Francis Proulx, 29, was charged with first-degree murder last month in the death of Nancy Michaud, who was dragged from her home early in the morning of May 16 while her young boys slept.
The additional gruesome charges laid Tuesday rocked residents of the farming community of 1,200.
“It's unbelievable that somebody could go as far as that,” said Dominique Gagnon, who lives next door to Ms. Michaud on the main road in town.
A few days after Ms. Michaud's disappearance, police found the 37-year-old's body in an abandoned house a few kilometres from her home.
“There are accusations of sexual assault and necrophilia,” defence lawyer Jean Desjardins told reporters Tuesday at the Riviere-du-Loup courthouse.
Mr. Desjardins would not say whether the added charges stem from the autopsy results.
“The evidence will be seen later,” he said.
Under the Criminal Code, a person who “indecently interferes with . . . a dead human body” could face up to five years in prison.
The punishment for first-degree murder is a life sentence with no parole for 25 years.
Townsfolk who rarely locked their doors before the attack say picturesque Riviere-Ouelle will never be the same.
Mr. Gagnon, who works with Mr. Michaud's husband Daniel Casgrain in the nearby peat-moss fields, said everybody is still talking about the attack.
“It's fresh, it just happened,” he said. “There is still mourning to do.
“For us here, it's a tragedy. There are places where people don't know each other, maybe it's not the same, I don't know, but here it's a tragedy.”
Ms. Michaud, a political aide to Quebec Natural Resources Minister Claude Bechard, grew up in the town, about 140 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.
Mr. Proulx, who was also raised in the village, lives only a few houses away from Ms. Michaud. Neighbours say they knew each other.
Residents have described Ms. Michaud as a dedicated community volunteer who could often be seen walking with her sons, aged 18 months and six years old.
Mr. Proulx, meanwhile, is described as a village loner who spent most of his free time playing with his computer and tinkering with his pickup truck.
He is also facing unrelated charges, dating to last fall. He is alleged to have stolen $100,000 from an 87-year-old female relative.
Court documents show Mr. Proulx was charged with theft and break-and-enter on Sept. 17 – some eight months before he was arrested and charged in Ms. Michaud's death.
Police say Mr. Casgrain returned home from a work at 2:30 a.m. to find the kids fast asleep, but Ms. Michaud gone.
Two local teenagers led police to the abandoned house after noticing tire tracks on the grass. Police say the home, which has been vacant for years, belongs to one of Mr. Proulx's relatives
I've heard necrophilla used as a cover story for vampire attacks in the past.
