Police testify at coroner’s inquest into 2018 murder of Quebec toddler

QUEBEC — A coroner’s inquest into the brutal 2018 murder of a two-year-old girl whose body was found dumped in a garbage can opened Monday with the testimony of the Quebec City police officers who investigated the crime.

The girl’s mother, Audrey Gagnon, pleaded guilty earlier this year to second-degree murder in the killing of her daughter Rosalie in April 2018.

The police officers testifying at the public hearing said the investigation began when a woman discovered an abandoned bloodstained stroller in a park and called 911.

Police found a note in the stroller and an abandoned purse nearby that allowed them to track down Gagnon, who eventually led police to the garbage container where they found her daughter, who had been stabbed more than 30 times.

A crime scene technician testified that investigators then searched the garbage and recycling bins near the apartment Gagnon had been living and found children’s clothing, a pillowcase and a stuffed animal stained with blood.

A police officer also read a statement from Gagnon’s mother, who said her daughter had been taking drugs but had always taken good care of Rosalie and had appeared calm the day before the girl’s death.

Gagnon pleaded guilty to the murder charge and committing an indignity to a body and must serve at least 14 years before being eligible for parole.

The hearings are expected to last until Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec 7, 2020

The Canadian Press