Seventeen-year-old Chantal Rochon was last seen on June 11th, 1988, near her home on des Mésanges Street in Blainville, a suburb north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Just twelve days later, on June 23rd, her decomposed body was discovered in a wooded area of Blainville. The exact cause of death was not publicly disclosed, but the condition of her remains suggested she had been killed shortly after her disappearance.
Chantal’s case is one of several involving young women who were abducted and murdered in the Montreal area between 1987 and 1995. Other victims included sixteen-year-old Sophie Landry, nineteen-year-old Lyette Gibb, thirteen-year-old Valérie Dalpé, eleven-year-old Marie-Ève Larivière, ten-year-old Marie-Chantale Desjardins, nineteen-year-old Mélanie Cabay, and ten-year-old Joleil Campeau.
These crimes often involved sexual assault, and the victims were frequently found in isolated areas. Despite similarities among the cases, including the age and gender of the victims and the circumstances of their deaths, police have not confirmed any connections between them.
In response to the growing number of unsolved cases, the Sûreté du Québec expanded its cold-case unit in 2004, aiming to leverage new investigative techniques like DNA profiling. Investigators have noted that witnesses or tipsters may be more willing to come forward as time passes, and social media has become a valuable tool in gathering information.
Chantal Rochon’s case remains open, and authorities continue to appeal to the public for any information that could lead to the resolution of her murder.
Crime Immemorial 