A Moncton man has been charged with first-degree murder after the body of a 24-year-old man missing since last week was found outside the city in a wooded area off Paris Boulevard in Irishtown.
Justin Barrow, 42, made a brief appearance in Moncton provincial court Wednesday afternoon.
He is accused of killing 24-year-old Max Boudreau on or about November 15.
Boudreau disappeared after leaving a strip club in Dieppe on November 15 and was reported missing on November 17. His body was found on Tuesday.
“At this time, police believe the man’s death is suspicious and are investigating the death as a homicide,” said New Brunswick RCMP spokesman Cpl. Hans Ouellette said in a press release Wednesday.
No other details have been released.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, Ouellette said.
First degree murder is a planned and deliberate killing. It carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years.
Codiac Regional RCMP and Boudreau’s family had asked for the public’s help in locating him.
‘special soul’
Lise Lamoureux announced her son’s death on social media Wednesday morning.
“For those who knew Max very well, you would all agree that he was a special soul,” she posted on Facebook.
Boudreau’s cousin, musician Louise Vautour Goguen, shared the post and wrote, “I have no words.”
Max Boudreau was last seen on Nov. 15 at approximately 3 a.m., leaving a bar on Champlain Street in Dieppe, RCMP said. (Max Boudreau/Facebook)
The family was notified Tuesday night, according to Alyssa Legere Dignard, who identified herself to reporters outside court as Boudreau’s best friend. They’re taking it hard, she said, fighting back tears.
“It’s been a little bit of a hit for everybody. We’re trying to stay strong.
“We’re trying to get more news about what happened.”
Boudreau’s friend, Alyssa Legere Dignard, told reporters she has no idea why he would have been in Irishtown and doesn’t know Barrow. (Shane Magee/CBC)
Legere Dignard says Boudreau was at the Chris Rock bar the night of Nov. 14 and was supposed to meet some friends downtown at the Furnace Room, but ended up going to Angie’s Show Palace strip club in Dieppe with others friends.
After that, he says he got into a taxi alone, but he doesn’t know where he was going or where he was dropped off.
We used to have a lot of fun together. … I miss him very much.- Alyssa Legere Dignard, friend of the victim
“I just know we had a phone call [from him] like 3 in the morning, saying his legs were a little bloody and we were a little worried about him. … And then, a couple of hours later, he was gone.”
She doesn’t know Barrow, she said, and doesn’t think he’s “the kind of guy Max would date.”
She doesn’t know of any connection Boudeau had to Irishtown or why he would have been there, she added. “So that’s another big question of ours.”
Many of Boudreau’s family and friends have spent “hours and hours” trying to retrace his last steps and figure out what happened to him, Legere Dignard said. (Max Boudreau/Facebook)
Boudreau’s family and friends initially thought he was kidnapped, or possibly gone by choice, according to Legere Dignard, who quickly added that this was not like him.
“He was always the type of person who talked to everybody,” she said. “He’s always there for everyone.
“Max was funny, cheerful, always lots of energy, always cheering us on, never upset.
“We had so much fun together…I miss him so much.”
Order without contact
In court on Wednesday, Judge Suzanne Bernard addressed the “full house” before dealing with the accused, saying she understood the matter would stir up “some emotions for a lot of people”.
He urged them to “keep calm” and warned that anyone disrupting the proceedings would be escorted out.
Barrow remained calm in the prisoner’s box as dozens of people looked on and when asked by the judge if he understood the charge he was facing, he replied: “Yes.”
Normally, all homicide trials in Canada are automatically heard by judge and jury, so Bernard said all he had the authority to do was set a date for a preliminary inquest — a hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to trial in King’s Court. bank
On Wednesday, RCMP remained at the site where Boudreau’s remains were discovered on Tuesday. (Radio-Canada)
Duty lawyer Vincent Dubuc asked for a two-week adjournment to give Barrow time to find a lawyer or apply for legal aid. His next court date is Dec. 12 at 11 a.m., when he is expected to attend by phone. He remains in custody.
After the proceedings, Boudreau’s family and friends hugged and cried in the courtroom hallway.
Boudreau’s mother, in her Facebook post, thanked the RCMP and everyone who contributed to the efforts to locate him.
Originally, his last known location was on Albert Street in Moncton on the afternoon of November 14th.
On Tuesday, RCMP said Boudreau was last seen on Nov. 15 around 3 a.m., leaving a bar on Champlain Street in Dieppe.
In Wednesday’s press release, the RCMP thanked community members, partner agencies and specialized police services for their assistance during the search for Boudreau.
“Our thoughts are with the family and the community at this time,” Ouellette said.
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact the RCMP at 1-888-506-7267 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).