Exactly 30 years ago, on July 5, 1994, the mayor of Saint-Clet, André Leroux, and his partner, Christiane Maurice, were murdered in their home on Chemin du Ruisseau Nord. Three decades later, this tragedy, which left its mark on the small community, remains unsolved. 

The Sûreté du Québec, the police force in charge of the investigation, says the case is still open. "It is still active, despite the passage of time. We invite anyone with information on this case to come forward. It's never too late to do so," said spokesperson Ann Mathieu in 2022. 

A well-known couple in the community

At the time, the duo was well known in the community, as Mr. Leroux, 54, had been mayor of Saint-Clet for 17 years, since 1977. He was re-elected in 1993 by acclamation, unopposed, for a fourth term in municipal politics. It was common knowledge that Mr. Leroux was quite wealthy. At the time, his personal assets included several residences and businesses, including Saint-Clet's licensed establishment, Les Arpents verts, as well as heavy machinery for excavation, since he was also a corn farmer.  He was also the first owner of the present-day Saint-Clet post office, which remains in operation to this day.  

His partner Christiane Maurice, 35, had also been working for the Municipality of Saint-Clet as secretary-treasurer for four years. Prior to that, she had worked for 10 years at Pointe-Fortune and Caisse Desjardins de Rigaud. 

A reminder of the facts

It was just after 8 a.m. on the morning of July 5, 1994, that Mr. Leroux and Ms. Maurice lost their lives. They had just returned from their second home in Saint-Zotique, when a hooded individual arrived at their home to carry out his sinister deed.

In all likelihood, Mr. Leroux was the first victim. The investigation showed that a call made by a female voice was received by 911 from inside the couple's home at the time of the crime. Christiane Maurice would therefore have had time to contact emergency services before suffering the same sad fate as her companion.

According to the investigation, the home showed no signs of a struggle, and nothing was missing. This suggests that the duo knew their attacker, and that the motive for the crime was not burglary.

Unusually, a 26-year-old worker who was at the couple's residence at the time of the double murder was taken hostage by the murderer following the crime. He was found at the corner of Saint-Ambroise and Georges-Étienne Cartier, in Montreal, handcuffed to the front seat of the van belonging to André Leroux in the hours following the massacre. Met by investigators, he was quickly eliminated from the list of suspects.

No arrest on file

Thirty years after the crime was committed, the person responsible has still not been arrested.

Were the two victims targeted in this attack, or was one of them a collateral victim who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Is there a suspect in the police sights?

What is the investigators' main theory to explain this sordid crime?

Was the presence of RCMP investigators at the crime scene revealing? These officers had taken part in a major press conference the previous week, focusing on the dismantling of a major cigarette and alcohol smuggling ring. Is there a link between this case and the two murders?

To date, these questions remain unanswered. While life has returned to normal in Saint-Clet, the Leroux and Maurice families remain deeply affected by their losses and hope to obtain answers, and justice, for their lost loved ones. 

Any information that could help solve this crime can be communicated to the Sûreté du Québec's Centrale de l'information criminelle at 1 800 659-4264.