Accused murderer of Deep River woman’s case adjourned to Jan. 6

Family and friends of Sommer Boudreau, the 39-year old mother of three children who was found dead in a Deep River home on Dec. 11, will have to wait until Jan. 6 to find out what the next phase will be in the case against Adam Rossi, the 41-year old man charged with second degree murder in relation to her case.

He appeared briefly on Dec. 28 and this was his second appearance in the Ontario Court of Justice in Pembroke following a previous adjournment of his Dec. 16 hearing. Rossi is currently in custody at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre pending the completion of his bail hearing.

He was formally charged with second degree murder and one count of indignity to a human body. A Section 517 publication ban is in place that disallows sharing of information during a bail hearing, along with reasons given by the judge, until the accused is discharged or, if ordered to stand trial, the trial has ended.

Deep River Police and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have declined to say how Rossi and Boudreau knew each other, or whether the alleged murder was domestic in nature. Details remain scarce, but police in the Ottawa Valley town, with a population of 4,000 and home to hundreds of current and former employees of various atomic-energy related industries, were conducting a wellness check at the Rutherford Avenue duplex when her body was discovered.

About 150 people gathered in the cold at a vigil honouring the memory of Sommer Boudreau in Deep River on Dec. 19. It was organized by End Violence against Women Renfrew County, which is part of a coalition of groups that gather annually in Petawawa at a monument dedicated to murdered women who were victims of domestic violence.

An adjournment was ordered to allow him to confer with his counsel Marni Munsterman.

Munsterman may be familiar to Ottawa Valley residents as she was defence counsel for former North Algona Wilberforce clerk Kathleen Thur. Thur was convicted of forging a letter from her employers near Kirkland Lake, telling the court she could keep her job, despite being convicted of stealing more than 40 thousand dollars from a volunteer organization in the Ottawa Valley in 2015.  

A celebration of life is scheduled for Feb. 4 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Petawawa from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. Stallberg said the day will be a day of reflection. She encourages people who attend to share memories of Sommer Boudreau with a strong focus on the strength and bravery of the woman she has called her sister for more than 30 years.

A secure bank account in trust of Sommer’s children and future grandchildren has been set up and anyone wishing to contribute can do so by sending an etransfer to justiceforsommer@gmail.com