Man charged in killing of mother, 61, in Montreal’s first homicide of 2023

A 28-year-old Montreal man was charged with second-degree murder on Thursday in the death of his mother.

Emmanuel Gendron-Tardif appeared before a judge this morning to be formally charged in the city’s first homicide of 2023.

Officers found the body of Lysane Gendron, 61, early Wednesday after being called to perform a welfare check at her apartment just east of downtown Montreal. Gendron’s body bore marks of violence, and her death was later declared a homicide, the city’s first in 2023.

Gendron-Tardif, who has no previous criminal record, was remanded into custody and is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 28.

Gendron worked for the City of Laval, north of Montreal, as an assistant director in its culture, recreation and sports department. Many elected officials in Laval posted tributes to her on social media Thursday.

Virginie Dufour, the member of the national assembly for the Laval riding of Mille-Îles, said she was “saddened and shocked” by the news.

“Lysane Gendron had done a lot for the accessibility of culture in Laval,” she wrote. “She was passionate and knew how to rally us to the cultural cause.” According to her LinkedIn account, Gendron had worked for Laval since 2004.

Louise Lortie, a municipal councillor, called the victim a “passionate woman” who devoted a significant part of her life to serving Laval. She said she was shaken by the sad news.

A local cultural organization, La Centrale, described Gendron as brilliant, sensitive, committed and devoted and said that the tragedy was a major loss for the cultural community and for Gendron’s loved ones.