
Ottawa man charged with second-degree murder in femicide
Article content
Desrochers was last seen on March 14 at the McDonald's on Elgin Street, according to an Ottawa Police Service release last month.
Article content
On Sunday, the OPS said they have charged a man in relation to her death.
Article content
Joshua Blair, 35, was charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body.
Article content
Article content
Police said he appeared in court on Sunday.
Article content
Article content
'While the remains of Rachelle Desrochers have not yet been recovered, investigators have reason to believe she was killed and that her body may be located in a local landfill, where search efforts are ongoing,' police said in a release.
Article content
Police said the murder is considered a femicide. The OPS defines a femicide as the intentional killing of women, girls, Two-Spirit, transgender women and gender non-conforming individuals because of their gender.
Article content
'OPS names femicide as part of its commitment to ongoing efforts to improve their response to Violence against Women (VAW) and to prevent femicide and commits to ongoing collaboration with the VAW sector.
Article content
'Identifying and naming instances of femicide in Ottawa is critical to the development of more nuanced prevention initiatives and more accurate documentation of this form of violence,' the police said in an emailed statement on Sunday morning.
Article content

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Toronto Sun
19 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Charges laid in assault of Muslim woman on OC Transpo bus
Police did not identify the accused, citing mental health as "a contributing factor." A file photo of Ottawa Police Service headquarters. Photo by JULIE OLIVER / Postmedia The Ottawa Police Service said a man had been arrested and charged in relation to a hate-motivated incident where a Muslim woman was assaulted on an OC Transpo bus last week. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Police had said on Aug. 12 that the woman in her late teens was assaulted and had threats directed at her by a white man while riding a bus in Kanata the day before. On Wednesday, Aug. 20, police said officers had arrested a man, but did not identify him publicly 'due to mental health being a contributing factor.' Described as a 30-year-old man from Ottawa, he was charged with: Three counts of criminal harassment Assault Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm Inciting hate in a public place He appeared in court on Wednesday, police said. In a statement on BlueSky, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he was 'encouraged' to hear that police had made an arrest in connection with the incident. 'There is absolutely no place for hate, racism, or violence in Ottawa. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us,' Sutcliffe's post said. Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously posted on X that 'hate and violence have no place in our city, or our country.' Toronto & GTA Columnists Ontario Celebrity Toronto & GTA


Ottawa Citizen
19 hours ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Charges laid in assault of Muslim woman on OC Transpo bus
The Ottawa Police Service said a man had been arrested and charged in relation to a hate-motivated incident where a Muslim woman was assaulted on an OC Transpo bus last week. Article content Police had said on Aug. 12 that the woman in her late teens was assaulted and had threats directed at her by a white man while riding a bus in Kanata the day before. Article content Article content On Wednesday, Aug. 20, police said officers had arrested a man, but did not identify him publicly 'due to mental health being a contributing factor.' Article content Article content Described as a 30-year-old man from Ottawa, he was charged with: Article content Article content


Ottawa Citizen
2 days ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Missing man, 27, last seen Monday evening in Kanata, Ottawa police say
The Ottawa Police Service said Tuesday it was seeking public assistance in locating a 27-year-old man. Article content Jesse Howe was last seen at his residence in the 0-100 block of Singal Street in Kanata at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 18. He was wearing a blue hoodie and a black baseball cap with a white patch. He was believed to be driving a blue 2008 Ford F-250 with Ontario licence plate CD65697. Article content Article content Jesse was described as a White man standing five feet seven inches tall, with an athletic build, medium-length light brown hair, blue eyes and a beard.