Ugo Fredette, suspect in Quebec Amber Alert, accused of 2nd-degree murder in woman's death

Ugo Fredettehas been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his partner, VroniqueBarbe, who was found slain in her Saint-Eustache, Que., home last Thursday,triggeringan Amber Alert for a missing six-year-old boy.

The alertspanned hundreds of kilometresand lasted until Fredettewas arrested and the boy was found safein Dacre, Ont.,about 60 km east ofBancroft.

The second-degree murdercharge was filed by Quebec prosecutors in Saint-Jrme court Monday, whileFredette remains in an Ottawa hospital after attempting to commit suicide in custody.

• 'Get in thehouse!': Ontario couple recountsAmber Alert arrest

The boyhas been transported back to Quebec,where he was placed in the care of provincial youth protection services.

Barbewas a mother of four. One of her friendstold Radio-Canada she had split with Fredette for a month in the spring, but the couple were together when Barbe was killed. Her cause of death has not been released by police.

Fredette is expected to be arraigned Wednesday if his condition permitstransfer into Quebec provincial police custody.

"Hismedical condition isn't clear at the moment, but we've learned he would be in a semi-comatose state," Pierre Gauthier, Fredette's lawyer, told Radio-Canada.

Gauthier added he hadn't been able to speak with his client in the past 48 hours because of that,but did after Fredette was arrested Friday.

Family fears worst, hopes for best

Meanwhile, police are expanding their search this morning for 71-year-old Yvon Lacasse, the man whose SUV Fredettewas driving when he was arrested.

Police believe Fredettestole the Honda CR-V in Lachute, Que., Thursday, where Lacasse was last seen.

Investigators are once again urging residents to be on the lookout forLacassebetweenLachuteandRouyn-Noranda,a network ofroads northwest of Montrealtotallingnearly 600 kilometres.

The SQ used a helicopter tolook for signs ofLacasseon Route 117, a remote stretch connectingMont-TremblantandRouyn-Noranda, which police sayFredettetook on his drive north.

"We're going to go up to Rouyn-Noranda so we can eliminate that part and then focus on other sections [he could be in]," said SQ Sgt. Martine Asselin.

Investigators arestill hoping Fredettewill providedetails about Lacasse'swhereabouts but the communication has been limited, Asselin said.

"Hopefully, Ugo Fredette will come to his senses and give out the information so that ... all the members of Yves Lacasse's family find answers," she said.

"To find him alive or not, they just want tofindhim."

Teams of volunteers spent the weekend looking for Lacasse in the Lachutearea.

Yves St-Denis, Lacasse's cousin and a Quebec MNA, said it has been an extremely difficult periodfor the family.

"Very sad, and at the same time happy to see all the volunteers helping,"he told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Monday.

"We made 23 teams of 10 or more people to search all the little roads, but found no evidence. We'll see what happens today."

Lacasse isdescribed as bald with brown eyes. He is 5-4" tall and weighs around 155 pounds.

Witness sought

The SQ have also released a sketch portrait of another man they're calling an important witness in the case.

He was seen with Fredetteat a hotelin Rouyn-Noranda overnight Thursday, where the Quebec man and boy stayed.

He is in his 40s with dark hair, a beard and blue eyes. He is 5-6" tall and weighs 220 pounds.

"We don't know at which point that he started to be in the story," said the SQ's Asselin. "We really want to meet him. Maybe he would know where Mr. Lacasse would be and what Mr. Fredette had in his mind."

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