Femicide in Contrecœur "He didn't accept his breakup"

(Reluctantly) “Men, act like men. Take care of the women, ”begged the spouse of Lisette Corbeil, in tears, the day after her murder. Following the feminicide, the small community of Contrecœur is in shock.

The relatives of the victim gathered on Thursday in the house on the banks of the St. Lawrence River where the bodies of Lisette Corbeil, 56, and that of her ex-husband David Joly, 49, were discovered . The Sûreté du Québec confirms that it is “the murder of a woman followed by a suicide”. The victim's new spouse asked us to respect the family and friends gathered to grieve. This drama is added to 11 alleged feminicides and feminicides since the beginning of the year in Quebec.

“He didn’t take it. He did not accept his breakup, ”says Vicky Lepage, friend of the ex-couple. Lisette Corbeil ended her relationship with David Joly about a year ago after 20 years together. The man has completely changed following the separation, according to several testimonies collected by La Presse. The computer scientist constantly talked about his heartbreak and fell into depression.

“At one point, we wanted to say to him: ‘Get a hold of yourself. It's been months since you've been left behind. You're not 14 anymore. Come back!’’, explains Vicky Lepage, on her doorstep, in Contrecœur.

A few months ago, Lisette Corbeil called several friends of David Joly to invite them to watch over him during this difficult time.

“He slipped up,” continues M^me Lepage.

Last September, David Joly made suicidal remarks. The Régie intermunicipale de police Richelieu-Saint-Laurent then applied to the Court to prohibit the man from possessing a firearm “for the protection of others and that of the respondent”. Mr. Joly did not oppose this request; 13 hunting weapons, ammunition boxes and permits were seized from his home. The ban was valid until August 31.

"He didn't see that he was in bad shape"

Following the seizure, David Joly was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, according to court documents that La Presse consulted on courthouse in Sorel-Tracy. When he left the hospital, he refused the medical follow-up and psychological help offered to him, according to Vicky Lepage. "He said he didn't need it. He didn't see that he was wrong. For him, it was normal to be in this state after a breakup. »

In November, David Joly announced that he was stepping down as president of the Association Chasse et Pêche de Contrecœur. Maurice Gendron, his colleague in the organization, suspected that he might have couple problems. “He announced his resignation to us, saying that he had family problems,” explains Mr. Gendron. But he would never have thought that a tragedy would occur. “It’s a hard blow to learn that today. »

A neighbor of the ex-couple often heard Lisette Corbeil and David Joly arguing, long before their separation. He had also seen changes in David Joly's attitude over the past year. “David wanted to sell the house in these times of one-upmanship. Lisette didn't want to. It caused bickering, ”says this neighbor who preferred to keep his name quiet, too upset by the events.

Wednesday morning, David Joly's car was found on this neighbour's property, behind a huge rope of wood. “He probably did it so that Lisette wouldn't see it coming,” he suspects, troubled.

“A brilliant woman”

At the pharmacy, at the library, at the Contrecœur post office, this feminicide, confirmed by the police, was a topic of conversation. Michel "Bigou" Tétreault, manager of the Rooster's BBQ restaurant, located in the heart of the city and in front of the city hall, said he was shaken that his loyal client was murdered. Lisette Corbeil used to always sit on the same bench; when she ate with the mayor as director of economic development for the city between 2015 and 2020, she preferred the small private room, however, explains Michel Tétreault, pointing to the table.

“She greeted the staff, she took news, she called me by my first name. He was a very nice and polite person. It was easy to get attached to this woman, ”says Mr. Tétreault, pained.

Maud Allaire, Mayor of Contrecœur, worked with Lisette Corbeil on the municipality's port development, a large-scale economic and tourism project. “She was a bright, intelligent woman who spoke well and had a nice approach to people. When she arrived at City Hall, she greeted everyone, asked them how their weekend had been, ”said the mayor, who is inundated with testimonies from residents saddened by the murder followed by suicide.

“She was a well-known, recognized woman, renowned for her intelligence. She made her place in a man's world,” says M^me Allaire.

But in the context of her professional duties, she says, Lisette Corbeil was always discreet about her personal life and her marital problems.