Body found near Arundel, Que., ends police search for missing man in Amber Alert case

Quebec provincial police have found a body near the town of Arundel, 20 kilometres south of Mont-Tremblant, where they have been searching for 71-year-old Yvon Lacasse, who was last seen on Thursday, Sept. 14.

SretduQubecSgt. Marc Tessier told CBC News that"every indication" suggests thebody is that of Lacasse, but police must wait for the coroner to confirm the identity.

The body was found around 5:30 p.m. ET by an SQ officer searchinga wooded area alongCheminde la Rouge, a gravel road that runs parallel to the Rouge River inArundel.

Police said the discovery brings an end to their search and crime scene investigators have now taken over the site.

Following tips from the public,the SQ concentrated itssearch effortsalong Chemin de la Rouge andHighway 327, a secondary roadthat connectsLachuteandMont-Tremblantin the Laurentians.

Police officers searched the area on foot and with the help of a helicopter.

• No sign of missing manconnected to Amber Alert as police urge witness to come forward

TheSQbelieves that UgoFredette, 41, who was arrested after an Amber Alert was issued last Thursday for a missing six-year-old Quebec boy, abandoned his own pickup truck and stole Lacasse's Honda CR-Vin Lachute,40 kilometres northwest ofSaint-Eustache.

The boy was found safe when Fredette was stopped the following day by police in Dacre, Ont.,about 60 km east ofBancroft.

Fredette has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his partner, VroniqueBarbe, 41, of Saint-Eustache, but has yet to appear in court due to injuries he sustained during a suicide attempt behind bars.

Police had previously said Lacassecould have been dropped off by Fredetteanywhere along the route he took from Lachute, drivingthrough Rouyn-Noranda and Maniwaki before entering Ontario.

Stolen vehiclecaught on video

Carole Brandt, Arundel's administrative assistant, told CBC News that provincial police first showed up in townon Sunday in their search for Lacasse.

Police viewed security camera footage that showed Lacasse's stolen Honda CR-V in the town at 7:09 p.m. Thursday, according to Brandt, who also saw the footage.

While investigators have maintained a presence in town all week, Brandt said the search seemed to ramp up Wednesday morning.

"We had to tell people what was going on because they were quite concerned," she said.

"And actually today, they're going door to door telling people to check their properties, their barns and their sheds for possible clues."

Fredette to undergo medical evaluation

Fredette is still in an Ottawa hospital, according to Ontario Provincial Police.

He was charged in absentia Monday in the slaying of his partner, the mother of four children. The cause of the woman's death has not been released.

Fredette wasscheduled to appear in aSaint-Jrmecourttoday but Superior Court JusticeMartinCastonguay rescheduled the hearinguntil next Wednesday, and has asked for a detailed medical report on the accused'smental and physical health.

He has been in a coma for the past three days, ever sincehe failed to awaken after beinganesthetizedto undergo tests.

"They had to put him asleep because he was too agitated. And when all the medical tests were completed, they tried to wake him up but without any success," saidFredette'slawyer, PierreGauthier.

The coma, he said, was not deliberately induced.

Gauthiersaid TuesdayFredettehad begun moving his hands and feet. On Wednesday, the Crown prosecutor inFredette'scase told the court the accused hadopened his eyes.

Still seeking person of interest

Police are also still looking for a "person of interest" who theysay was seen with Fredette in Rouyn-NorandaThursday overnight.

They have circulated a computer-generated image of the man.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 911 or 1-800-659-4264.