A man who had been in a relationship with Josiane Arguin for at least a year before she was reported as missing two months ago was charged on Friday with murdering her and causing an indignity to the Park-Extension resident’s body.
Simon Brind’amour, a Montreal resident who describes himself on Facebook as a supervisor on construction sites, made his first court appearance at the Montreal courthouse before Quebec Court Judge Thierry Nadon. He is charged with second-degree murder and is alleged to have killed Arguin on Sept. 1. The other charge alleges that the victim’s body was dismembered on the same day. According to sources familiar with the case, investigators have yet to locate Arguin’s remains, but have ample reason to believe she was killed.
On Aug. 9, 2017, Brind’amour posted on Facebook that he and Arguin were “in a relationship.”
Josiane Arguin, 34, was last seen Sept. 1.
On Thursday, members of the Montreal police could be seen combing the property on d’Anvers Ave. that is listed as Brind’amour’s home address in the charge sheet filed in court on Friday.
Members of the accused’s family, including a woman who appeared to be very distraught, sat in the courtroom as Brind’amour made his appearance via a video linkup from another location where he was detained. A prosecutor asked the court to impose a condition that he not communicate with his ex-wife and their three children as well as two other people while his case is pending.
The accused’s lawyer, Tom Pentefountas, did not enter a plea and the case was carried over to Dec. 3 for a formality hearing. Brind’amour will remain detained for the time being and his attorney said it was “way too early” to consider a request for bail.
“I have Mr. Brind’amour’s version (of what happened to Arguin). I will take the time to look over the investigators’ version,” Pentefountas told reporters after his client appeared. “It’s a difficult situation for him. He’s a father of three. He’s in a certain level of shock.”
Pentefountas would not comment on the charge alleging his client dismembered the victim’s body.
Brind’amour was arrested shortly after police searched Arguin’s home on d’Anvers Ave. this week. According to the municipal evaluation, neither Arguin nor Brind’amour own the house that was searched.
Arguin, 34, was reported missing on Sept. 1.
The homicide was the 24th reported on the territory covered by the Montreal police in 2018.