Crimes that occurred in and around Vaudreuil-Soulanges, dating mainly from the 1970s, are resurfacing following the online update of the Sûreté du Québec's website dedicated to these files.

Launched in 2022, the Sûreté du Québec's unsolved files platform lists nearly 500 files that are still open and for which the SQ hopes to find answers.

Seven of these crimes took place in and around Vaudreuil-Soulanges:

Netsa Gordon: May 2, 2008 - Saint-Polycarpe

On the evening of May 2, 2008, Netsa Gordon and a friend were taken to a field in Saint-Polycarpe by individuals driving a minivan. Shots were fired in their direction and Netsa Gordon was hit. The two friends were left behind. Netsa Gordon eventually died of his injuries in hospital.

Carmelo Pagano: September 30, 2007 - Rigaud

On September 30, 2007, around 9:30 a.m., a lifeless body was found near Chemin Baie St-Thomas in Rigaud. On arrival, police found the body of a man bearing signs of violence. The investigation revealed that the victim was Carmelo Pagano, who had been murdered.

Serge Marquis: April 24, 1974 - Pincourt

On April 24, 1974, at the Au Pincourt restaurant and bar at 49, boulevard Métropolitain in Pincourt, manager Serge Marquis was accompanied by his wife when two men burst in and fired at the manager. Serge Marquis died, while his wife was wounded.

Richard Bolestridge: November 29, 1995 - Sainte-Juste-de-Newton

On November 29, 1995, at approximately 9:30 p.m., Richard Bolestridge was the victim of a homicide involving a firearm, while at the wheel of his vehicle. His vehicle was found on Montée Noire, in Sainte-Justine-de-Newton.

Alban Lebreton: September 22, 1978, Pointe-des-Cascades

Alban Lebreton, age 42, was last seen by an acquaintance on Friday, September 22, 1978, around 1 p.m. on St-Denis Street in Montreal. On September 25, 1978, Alban Lebreton's vehicle was found abandoned in the water along the Soulanges Canal in Pointe-des-Cascades. On October 2, 1978, a passer-by discovered the victim dead in a wooded area near Lac St-Louis. The investigation showed that Mr. Lebreton had been the victim of a homicide.

Ralph Vitale and Honorata Stroczkowska, May 14, 1973, Saint-Lazare

On May 14, 1973, the bodies of Ralph Vitale, age 40, and Honorata Stroczkowska, age 20, were discovered inside their home on Chemin Saint-Louis in Saint-Lazare. The couple had been the victims of a double murder. Mrs. Stroczkowska worked as a secretary and had been in a relationship with Ralph Vitale for about six months. Mr. Vitale worked in the bar trade and also owned a business.

Fidèle Deshaies, May 20, 1970, Coteau-du-Lac

Fidèle Deshaies worked for the Department of Justice for 20 years. He was a clerk and justice of the peace at the Superior Court in the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield district. He was known as a quiet, routine individual. It was during the night of May 19-20, 1970, that his ex-wife reported him missing.

Mr. Deshaies' body was discovered on April 27, 1971, on the ground of a maple grove in Coteau-du-Lac, a few kilometers from Valleyfield. On Sunday, May 17, 1970, he had asked a friend to accompany him to visit his son, and that was the last time he was seen alive.

John Micheal Stewart, April 30, 1977, Sainte-Madeleine-de-Rigaud

On April 30, 1977, the body of John-Michael Stewart was found in a wooded area of Ste-Madeleine-de-Rigaud by a couple walking on their land. He was last seen on April 27, 1977, in a cottage in the Lac Solar area of Lakefield. At the time, he said he had to leave for the U.S., in the Lac Champlain sector, in the company of another individual, only to return a few days later, around May 1.

Georgette Mallet, March 15, 1973, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue

On April 24, 1973, around 4 p.m., teenagers in a canoe on the Ottawa River between Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Belleville Island discovered a body floating on the surface of the water.Once the body was brought to shore, it was found to be that of a woman, later identified as 24-year-old Georgette Mallet.The body showed signs of violence.On March 15, 1973, an acquaintance of Madame Mallet had reported her disappearance to the Montreal police. 

Léo Desjardins, February 14, 1975, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

On February 14, 1975, Léo Desjardins left the Champlain bar on Saint-Laurent Street in Valleyfield with two friends in a vehicle. A little later, this same vehicle was intercepted by several individuals, and Léo Desjardins was the victim of a violent assault. He succumbed to his injuries.

Michel Meunier and Marc Émond: November 18, 2003 - Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

On November 18, 2003, around 01:15 a.m., a citizen reported a moving van parked in the yard of a business in Valleyfield since at least 8:15 p.m. the previous evening. On the scene, patrolmen found two men, Marc Émond and Michel Meunier, inert inside the vehicle. They had been murdered.

Serge Loiselle: November 14, 2011 - Salaberry-de-Valleyfield

On November 14, 2011, around 8:15 p.m., Serge Loiselle was with his wife when they were the victims of a home invasion. Three hooded individuals entered the home to commit a robbery and assaulted the occupants. Serge Loiselle died as a result of the attack. 

Decades of research

Each murder or suspected murder investigation file remains active until it is resolved. Even after decades, the slightest information from the public can allow investigators to have new leads or even lead to a positive outcome.

Even in files dating back to the 1970s, it is now possible to find new investigative elements. When a new investigator takes over a file, he studies it, sees if new information is available, but above all, he brings a new look,” Nicolas Scholtus, spokesman for the French Ministry of Justice, told Néomédia.

New technologies can also be used in research, as well as new survey methods.

“In some cases, DNA analysis can be done because we now have that expertise. So there are some associations that can be made,” the spokesperson concludes.

Citizens are encouraged to consult and share the unresolved files website. New information and cases are added regularly.

Anyone who may have information can transmit it in confidence by contacting the Criminal Information Centre at [email protected] or by phone at 1-800-659-4264. 

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