A Quebec woman has been formally charged with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her three children, and for her alleged role in the suicide of her husband.
Cathy Gauthier-Lachance, 36, who is in hospital in Saguenay recovering from knife wounds, was formally arraigned by telephone. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
"She's well and she understands the process," said her lawyer, Dominic Bouchard, who added that he would seek bail for his client.
Quebec provincial police are accusing Gauthier-Lachance and her late husband, Marc Laliberte, 46, of killing their children, then making a pact to commit suicide together, according to Sgt. Gregory Gomez del Prado.
The Quebec provincial police say investigators have recovered enough evidence in the woman's home to suggest the killings were allegedly premeditated. They also have a recording of the woman's call to 911.
Late Thursday night, police say the woman frantically telephoned emergency operators, which brought officials to the family's bungalow, located about 250 kilometres north of Quebec City.
"The woman called 911 so there's a tape that's being used as evidence, and all that is going to be shown in court," said del Prado.
Inside the home, officers found the dead bodies of the woman's husband, Marc Laliberte, and their three children.
Here are the names and ages of the victims:
- Joelle, 12
- Marc-Andre, 7
- Louis-Philippe, 4
Quebec police have not named an alleged motive for the murders but both parents had recently lost their jobs.
None of the allegations against Gauthier-Lachance have been proven in court.
An autopsy was scheduled to be conducted on the bodies of the children today and Tuesday in Montreal. Police have said the children did not have any wounds, meaning they may have died from suffocation or poisoning.
"We can confirm that the bodies of the children did not seem to have any marks of violence," said del Prado.
According to reports, the husband died from knife wounds. The family had lived in the residence for about six months.
With files from The Canadian Press
