Chelsea, Quebec mom charged with killing daughter Sophie Fitzpatrick
Chelsea, Quebec mom charged with killing daughter Sophie Fitzpatrick
by ADMIN on OCTOBER 26, 2011
Sophie Fitzpatrick, shown here at a Chelsea Nordiq event in 2009, was found dead in her Chelsea, Quebec home Oct. 22. Her mother, Kathrine Dufresne has been charged with first-degree murder. Low Down file photo
On Oct 21, Kathrine Dufresne, who is known as Kathy Fitzpatrick in Chelsea, Quebec strolled into Cheesy Luigi’s Pizza with her seven-year-old daughter Sophie. The took away their purchased slices and sat in the restaurant – eating, laughing and joking.
Twenty-four hours later, Dufresne was charged with first-degree murder after police discovered Sophie’s lifeless body in her Kingsmere home. The 53-year-old woman was found injured from what are believed to be self-inflicted wounds. News of the tragic event has left the small community in a state of shock.
“What? Oh my god, oh my god,” gasped Luigi Meliambro, owner of Cheesy Luigi’s, after hearing who had been involved in the incident.
“Kathy? She was in on Friday with her kid. They had a pizza. They were here for a good hour having fun. She’s a great customer, comes in once a week. She was a vibrant lady, always joking around.”
Even two days after the news broke of the alleged murder, neighbours were still in shock over the deeply disturbing event. Sean McAdam, who lives about 500 metres away from the Fitzpatricks, remembers Sophie as a lovely girl who was always happy.
“She was a great little girl, very friendly. She always had a smile on her face,” he said, adding that he has been a neighbour for nine years. “Everybody finds it extraordinarily shocking. It’s awful.”
Police were called to 80 Ch. Barnes in Kingsmere Oct. 22 around 1:30 p.m. after Dufresne’s husband, Murray Fitzpatrick, returned home from a business trip to discover his daughter dead and his wife seriously injured. The latter was rushed to hospital, but it was too late for Sophie.
Police immediately cleared Fitzpatrick of any involvement in the incident.
“It was the father that discovered the bodies and we know he was not involved,” said Surete du Quebec Spokesperson Claude Denis.
Police have remained tight-lipped about the cause of death, saying only that strangulation may have been the cause. Autopsy results should be in sometime this week.
Many Chelsea residents have nothing but nice things to say about the family, especially Dufresne’s relationship with her daughter, who was adopted from China five years ago. Neighbours who didn’t want to their names publicized called the two “inseparable” and said that Dufresne “adored that child.”
Fitzpatrick, described by residents as a sports enthusiast who loved to ski, is listed as an investment adviser and financial planner with BMO Nesbitt Burns in Ottawa.
For this tight-knit community, known for its healthful ambience, not shocking headlines, the question many are struggling with after the horrific event is: “Why?”
The mood Monday morning at Les Saisons cafe in Chelsea was somber, with residents discussing the tragic event with stoney faces.
Bruce Langer, owner of Bougie Doozy Candle was seen shaking his head with a cold look on his face. People remembered Dufresne as a vibrant community member who could usually be seen at community meetings, events and other social outings.
Sophie, who graduated kindergarten and Grade 1 at Grand Boise School and had started her second grade at the Chelsea Montessori School this year, was a happy little girl who loved to ski.
Even this reporter remembers photographing the youngster at a Chelsea Nordiq Bunny/Jackrabbit event two years ago. Sophie’s wide smile and her toque pulled over her eyes made for one adorable photo.
Dufresne made a court appearance Oct. 24, but did not enter a plea. She heard the charges against her and a first-degree charge means the Crown believes the killing was premeditated. Dufresne will now undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment before she returns to court Nov. 24.
The Kingsmere incident marks the third death of a chjild in the region since Canada Day. Readers may recall the sad story of two-year-old Bradin Leslie, who drowned in a lake near Low, and seven-year-old Alexis Breton Sanctuaire, who was caught under a large tree root in Duclos.
The latest tragedy opens up an already deep wound in Chelsea, after teenagers Nicholas Guenette and his Wakefield friend Marc-Etienne Fortin were killed in a fatal crash on Notch road earlier this month.
“It just feels like the community is reeling from all those losses,” said Mayor Caryl Green, referring to the recent deaths, as well as the fire that wiped out the Throop family home earlier in the summer. Given those events, she said, counselling for students and the public at large will be made available in the area.
“As a community, that’s all we can do is support each other,” Green said.