Nearly 20 years ago, the murder of Alain Brosseau rocked Ottawa’s gay community. Walking home to Gatineau after a shift at the Chateau Laurier, Brosseau was accosted by a group of young men who dangled him over the Alexandria Bridge by his ankles. Brosseau fell to his death.
Now, Jeffrey Lalonde, who pled guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the 1989 death, is dead. His body was found in a cell at Leclerc prison in Laval, Que May 26. Suicide was reported as the likely cause of death.
Brosseau was murdered because he was perceived to be gay. His killing led gays and lesbians to demand that Ottawa police set up a hate crimes unit and a police liaison to the queer community.
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