Chantale Lebrun was looking forward to a fresh start over Christmas–her ex-husband had other ideas....
Ask anyone and they’d tell you that Chantale Lebrun was a strong and independent woman.
Amother of four, her family described Chantale as creative, outgoing and hardworking, too.
She was a selfless person who loved her children more than anyone or anything.
Put simply, they meant the world to her.
And one of her daughters would fondly recall snuggling up to watch horror filmswith her mum.
Alady with spookier tastes, she also remembered how Chantale would sit by the window and watch storms as they raged outside.
Perhaps there was a comfort in listening to the raindrops.
Chantale was well known in her community – the small Ottawa Valley Town, Smiths Falls – as a photographer. Even the mayor was aware of her work.
But in 2021, Chantale was withdrawing – it was like she’d lost her spark.
Their marriage was toxic
Closing up shop, her photography business went on the back burner as Chantale was preoccupied.
You see, she was emotionally drained.
Ending her marriage with Kevin Ramage, 40, the relationship had turned toxic.
Chantale had found out that Kevin had installed spy cameras in the house and even hid GPS trackers in her belongings, in an attempt to monitor her every move.
Shortly before Christmas 2021, Chantale had discovered one of the trackers in the floormat of her car.
And reviewing the security camera footage of the home, she discovered Kevin placing the object in her vehicle.
Catching him quite literally in the act, it was the finalstraw for Chantale.
Confronting Kevin, she told him that she wanted a divorce.
And informing her friends and family of her intentions and telling them all about Kevin’s possessive and quite creepy behaviour, it seemed that her mind was made up. But Chantale was also the type of person who was kind to a fault.
And it was this kindness that drove her to allow Kevin to sleep on her sofa until he found somewhere else to live. In December, perhaps Chantale didn’t want him to be homeless over the festive season.
But Chantale also wanted to move on with her life.
And not long after breaking up with Kevin, she had found herself a new partner.
And things seemed to be going well for the new couple – Chantale even spent part of Christmas Day with them before going back home to her children.
Maybe things were on the up for the mum – yuletide joy was definitely in the air for Chantale and her children.
But this, unfortunately, was not the case for Kevin.
Leaving the house at 7am on Boxing Day morning,
