Gatineau police arrest suspect in Valérie Leblanc killing

Ottawa·BreakingPolice in Gatineau, Que., have arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of Valérie Leblanc, more than 14 years after the teenager’s body was found in woods behind a school in the city’s Hull sector. Stéphane Rivard, 51, charged with 1st-degree murder in teen’s deathCBC News · Posted: Sep 30, 2025 2:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes agoValérie Leblanc, 18, was found dead in woods behind her Gatineau, Que., school on Aug. 23, 2011. (Submitted)Police in Gatineau, Que., have arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of Valérie Leblanc, more than 14 years after the teenager’s body was found in woods behind a school in the city’s Hull sector. Stéphane Rivard, 51, faces a charge of first-degree murder, Gatineau Police (SPVG) announced in a news release on Tuesday afternoon. “By combining the expertise of our investigators with new investigative techniques, we were able to identify a suspect in connection with the murder of Valérie Leblanc,” said Chief Insp. Mathieu Guilbault in a statement ahead of a news conference on Tuesday.”Over the years, the SPVG has remained abreast of the most modern practices and has successfully integrated them into its investigative processes.” On August 23, 2011, the 18-year-old’s body was found in the woods behind the Gabrielle-Roy campus of Cégep de l’Outaouais.Investigating officers noted that Leblanc’s body had been badly beaten and then burned. A coroner’s report later determined she had died from blunt force trauma to the head.Shortly after her killing, police released a composite sketch of an unidentified “key witness.”Despite a $10,000 reward offered for information and more than 1,800 tips to police, this is the first arrest made in relation to Leblanc’s killing.More to come. Shortly after the body of Valérie Leblanc was found in August 2011, Gatineau Police released a composite sketch of an unidentified “key witness” they were seeking. (Gatineau Police)Gatineau Police said the Jeunesse au Soleil – Sun Youth charity offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the killing of Valérie Leblanc. (Gatineau Police)