A neighbour of an elderly couple killed at a home in rural Manitoba this week says the community has been left on edge following the apparent random homicides.
RCMP say the bodies of a 77-year-old man and a 73-year-old woman were found in a home on River Road in the RM of Tache early Thursday after officers responded to what was later determined to be a break-in. Police said a suspect has been charged on Friday.
Global News has confirmed Dennis Lidgett and Bernadette Lidgett were the victims.
“Shocking, it just doesn’t seem fair, doesn’t seem real to me,” said Janine Durand-Rondeau, who lives near the home where police were still investigating Friday.
“(It’s) very, very sad for their family, for them. I can’t even imagine the last moments of their lives.
“Until we get answers I think everyone’s a little on edge.”
St. Pierre-Jolys RCMP say they first received a 911 call about a disturbance at the home around 1:15 a.m., where officers found the elderly couple dead.
Police have not identified the victims.
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While they were still investigating at the home, police say officers received another report of a suspicious man nearby. After patrolling the area, they found and arrested a suspect found on foot on Highway 59.
Police say a stolen vehicle believed to be linked to the suspect was found a kilometre away at the corner of Highway 59 and PTH 210.
While police are continuing to investigate, they say so far, there is no known connection between the accused and the victims.
Durand-Rondeau said she’s had trouble sleeping since learning about the couples’ deaths.
Durand-Rondeau says the husband and wife and were long-time residents of Tache who had moved to the area, roughly 40 km southeast of Winnipeg, to retire.
She said she met them a few times at local events and described them as a quiet and friendly couple with long-standing ties to the community.
“He would walk on the river all winter, we’d sometimes chat just a little bit,” she said. “They were just good people.”
–With files from Brittany Greenslade
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