The brutal 2022 murder-suicide that claimed the lives of two Québécois women has exposed critical failures in how authorities respond to domestic violence cases, according to a scathing coroner’s report released Tuesday. The 138-page document reveals a troubling pattern of missed warning signs and institutional shortcomings that ultimately failed to protect Isabelle Lajoie and Myriam Dallaire from their killer, Ian Lamontagne.
Coroner Géhane Kamel’s investigation paints a disturbing timeline leading to the February 2022 tragedy in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, where Lamontagne fatally stabbed both women before taking his own life. The report identifies at least eight distinct warning signs that should have triggered intervention, including controlling behavior, isolation tactics, and explicit death threats.
“This was not a crime of passion or an unpredictable outburst,” writes Kamel. “The evidence reveals a calculated escalation of control and violence that went largely unaddressed by authorities despite multiple interactions with the perpetrator.”
Perhaps most alarming was Lamontagne’s documented history of threats. According to testimony gathered during the inquest, he had explicitly threatened to kill Lajoie if she attempted to leave their relationship. Despite this, police interventions consistently failed to recognize the severity of the danger or connect separate incidents into a coherent pattern of escalating abuse.
The report details how Lamontagne employed classic tactics of coercive control, including monitoring Lajoie’s communications, isolating her from friends and family, and exercising financial control. These behaviors, widely recognized as precursors to lethal violence by domestic abuse experts, went largely unnoticed by responding officers.
“When viewed in isolation, each incident might appear manageable,” notes domestic violence expert Manon Monastesse, who provided testimony for the inquest. “But when placed on a continuum, they clearly indicated an individual moving toward lethal violence.”
The coroner has issued seven major recommendations, with particular emphasis on reforming police training. Kamel calls for mandatory specialized domestic violence training for all officers, the implementation of standardized risk assessment tools, and improved information sharing between agencies.
“Officers must be equipped to recognize the subtle signs of coercive control and understand how seemingly minor incidents can foreshadow deadly violence,” the report states. “This is not just about responding to crises, but preventing them.”
The tragedy has sparked renewed calls for systemic reform in Quebec’s approach to domestic violence. Advocates point to the province’s troubling statistics – Quebec recorded 17 femicides in 2022 alone, with domestic violence calls increasing 12% between 2018 and 2022.
Public Security Minister François Bonnardel has committed to reviewing the recommendations, stating that “no woman should fear for her life because warning signs were missed.”
The findings come amid a broader national conversation about gender-based violence in Canada. Federal statistics show that women remain disproportionately affected by intimate partner violence, with Indigenous women and those in rural communities facing particularly high risks.
For victims’ families, the report offers validation but little comfort. “These weren’t just statistics – they were our daughters, sisters, and friends,” said Marie Dallaire, Myriam’s mother, in a statement released through the family’s attorney. “Their deaths were preventable, and that’s what makes this tragedy so unbearable.”
As Quebec authorities consider implementing the coroner’s recommendations, the fundamental question remains: how many more warning signs will be missed before our systems truly protect those at risk of domestic violence?
