The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says the body of a man they believe to be Martin Carpentier has been discovered in Saint-Apollinaire.
Quebec provincial police said a tip by a resident led to the discovery at around 7 p.m. on Monday evening.
“Everything leads us to believe it is Martin Carpentier,” the SQ said in a Tweet. “According to initial findings, he took his own life.”
Police said they will not be commenting any further and will hold a briefing in coming days.
Carpentier, 44, was the subject of an intense manhunt after the bodies of his two daughters, six-year old Romy and 11-year-old Norah, were discovered in a wooded area in Saint-Apollinaire on July 11.
The girls were last seen alive in company of their father in Lévis, near Quebec City, on the evening of July 8.
Police believe the trio was involved in a car crash that same evening after Carpentier’s abandoned vehicle was discovered by the side of a road in Saint-Apollinaire.
An Amber Alert was issued the following day.
The SQ had been searching for Carpentier for more than 10 days — canvassing the forested area while also performing checks of sheds and other outbuildings in the community.
While the ground search in the area was halted over the weekend, police said the investigation into the whereabouts of Carpentier was ongoing.
Monday’s discovery comes on the same day the girls were laid to rest in their hometown of Lévis.
Norah and Romy were remembered for their zest for life, and the love they spread in their short lives.
Their mother, Amelie Lemieux, described the girls as pure and gentle souls at the emotional service.
“Thank you for choosing me to be your mother, a privilege that was priceless,” Lemieux said, reading from a letter she wrote to her two little girls.
“Even if I didn’t have enough time by your side, I will continue to cherish, one by one, each memory, photo, video and continue to hear your soft voices call me ‘maman’,” Lemieux said through tears.
“I love you madly.”
Their cause of death has yet to be released.
Police said they would wait until Carpentier was found before revealing those details.
-With files from The Canadian Press
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