Claudette Poirier – and other disappearances – Summer of 77

I’ve written already about Claudette Poirier in relation to Cédrika Provencher. Since we’re doing this in chronological fashion, it would be useful to lay down all the facts once again.

15-year-old Claudette Poirier lived with her parents at 1190 Monfette in Drummondville. In the summer of 1977 the family decided to do some camping about 4 miles south at Camp Plein Air Familial along chemin Hemming. On July 27th, 1977 the blond haired, 5/’5″ 110 pound girl was  riding her bicycle along 3e Rang de Simpson on her way to visit friends who lived on St-Charles boulevard near her home back in Drummondville. 

From that point Claudette disappears. Her bicycle is found along Rang 5e,  Saint Cyrille,  about 2 miles from her camp site.

Police investigating are Roland Gagnon of Surete du Quebec, Trois Rivieres, Andre Blanchette of SQ Drummondville, Henri Deschenex and Marcel Boutin. They are unable to find any trace of Claudette.

9 years later, on October 9th, 1986, 2 hunters find a skull, other bones and women’s clothing about 15 meters from the road at La Reserve, Saint Lucien about 4 miles from south of the site of her disappearance. (I have heard it reported that the bones were charred, as if her remains were burnt). The remains are analyzed by Dr. Andre Lauzon at the SQ medical lab at Parthenais in Montreal and identified as Claudette Poirier. Given the length of time that has past the cause of death is undetermined. 

Analysis

I made a small map of the Poirier locations, as the story is a little confusing. The map is interactive:  click here and you will be take to the map,  and you can manipulate around the geography:

Basically in the center is where she was camping and last seen, to the left is where she lived and where she was going, to the right is where her bicycle and remains were found. 

How connected is this case with the others? Hard to tell. Probably not connected at all. However, I would note that Alice Pare, who disappeared from Drummondville in 1970 and was later found murdered, lived about 2 miles south of Poirier across the Saint Francois river.

Also of note – 1977 was sort of a summer of disappearances in Quebec:

• June 14, 1977: 16-year-old Johanne Danserault  (5’3″) disappears from her home at 615 rue des Lotus in Fabreville / Laval and is never seen again. Lt Gagne of Laval SQ was put in charge of the case. It is thought she was a runaway.

• June 27, 1977: 13-year-old Sylvie Doucet (5’4″, 120 lbs) of 3634 rue Rouen in Montreal disappears from East Montreal and is not seen again.  

• Henri Jette of the Montreal police is put in charge of the case. Again, Police think she has runaway.

• July 30, 1977: 14-year-old Elizabeth Bodzy (5′, 95 lbs) disappears from her home at 311 rue Belec in Laval. Detective Milette of Laval is put in charge of the case. Police think she is a runaway. Update: Elisabeth Bodzy returned home safe on August 15th 1977.

If someone can demonstrate to me that these young girls were later found safe, I am all ears. From what I know they simply vanished. 

And if you are noticing a pattern with these events, and recent events of young girls vanishing in Montreal, you would be seeing what I am seeing. In some cases they are found. In some cases we are told of rumors of the girls being sold into prostitution. In some cases they just vanish. It’s a public safety nightmare.

Returning to 1977, and in particular Laval, we will see that the situation would soon reach its apex with the late July disappearances and murders of Chantal Tremblay and Johanne Dorion.