Denise Morelle (3 December 1926 in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

– 17 July 1984 in Montreal) was a

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

actress whose 1984 murder was a significant media event in Quebec.

Life and career

Morelle was born in Montreal on 3 December 1926, into a working-class family with seven children. She first appeared on television in 1955 on the television series ''

Beau temps, mauvais temps ''Beau temps, mauvais temps'' is a Quebec, Québécois television series that ran from 1955 to 1958. It debuted on 11 November 1958. Synopsis Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio-Canada presented 96 episodes of this series, which is set in the ...

''. Among her most famous roles from her 30-year career was that of Dame Plume from the show '' La Ribouldingue''.

Death

On 17 July 1984, Morelle visited a ground-floor apartment on Sanguinet Street in Montreal that she was considering renting. The landlord was not there, but had told her earlier that she could go in anytime she wished because the apartment was not locked. That evening she failed to show up for a play in which she was performing, and police found her body in the apartment the next day: she had been strangled, beaten and raped. Her funeral was attended by over 1,000 friends, supporters, and colleagues, including

Michel Tremblay Michel Tremblay (born 25 June 1942) is a Canadian writer, novelist and playwright. Tremblay was born in Montreal, Quebec, where he grew up in the French-speaking neighbourhood of Plateau Mont-Royal; at the time of his birth, a neighbourhood ...

and Jean Duceppe. A small park in the Le Plateau district of Montreal has since been named after her.

Investigation

No apparent motive existed for her murder, and it was initially the subject of hysterical speculation in the press and amongst the public. It remained entirely unsolved until 8 August 2007, when investigators from the major crimes division of the Montreal police arrested 49-year-old Gaetan Bissonnette, who had been identified from a DNA sample he had provided for an unrelated reason. The TV network TVA claimed that a program it had aired on the case had led to the discovery. Bissonnette appeared before court on 9 August, accused of first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to a reduced second-degree murder charge. On 30 November 2007, he was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20 years.

Filmography

* 1955 : ''

'' (television series) * 1963 : '' Ti-Jean caribou'' (TV series) *

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

: '' Don't Let It Kill You (Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça)'' * 1968 : '' La Ribouldingue'' (TV series) : ''Dame Plume'' * 1969 : '' Bidule de Tarmacadam'' (TV series) : ''Mame Bouline'' *

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

: '' Those Damned Savages (Les Maudits sauvages)'' : ''Marie'' *

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

: '' In the Name of the Son (Et du fils)'' * 1972: ''

Françoise Durocher, Waitress ''Françoise Durocher, Waitress'' is a 1972 Canadian dramatic television film, directed by André Brassard. The film presents a portrait of Françoise Durocher, a waitress at a diner in Quebec, as portrayed by 24 different actresses and one male a ...

'' *

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

: '' Once Upon a Time in the East (Il était une fois dans l'est)'' : ''Belle Sœur'' *

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

: ''A Woman Inflamed (Tout feu, tout femme)'' *

: ''The Yellow Island (L'Île jaune)'' *

: ''

Confidences of the Night ''Confidences of the Night'' (, lit. "Wounded Love") is a 1975 Canadian drama film written and directed by Jean Pierre Lefebvre.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 47. The film stars Louise Cuerrier as a lone ...

(L'Amour blessé)'' *

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

: '' The Late Blossom (Le Soleil se lève en retard)'' : ''Colette'' * 1980 : ''

Frédéric Frédéric and Frédérick are the French versions of the common male given name Frederick. They may refer to: In artistry: * Frédéric Back, Canadian award-winning animator * Frédéric Bartholdi, French sculptor * Frédéric Bazille, Impr ...

'' (TV series) : ''Develine Gladu''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morelle, Denise 1926 births 1984 deaths Actresses from Montreal Canadian film actresses Canadian murder victims Canadian television actresses People murdered in Quebec 20th-century Canadian actresses Female murder victims Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery 1980s murders in Canada 1984 crimes in Canada 1984 murders in North America