'I want to see him': Father of Dieppe, N.B., murder victim speaks

When Rick Boudreau arrived at court Monday morning, he didn't know if he would see the man accused of killing his son in person.

Boudreau stopped and talked to reporters outside the Moncton law courts about what life has been like since his 24-year-old son Max's body was found on Nov. 22, calling the last few weeks “unimaginable.”

Max Boudreau, 24, of Moncton, N.B., was reported missing to police on Nov. 17, 2022. (Facebook)

"It’s not real –- it’s surreal. Coming here today was probably the hardest thing I've done,” said a visibly upset Boudreau. “This is the first time that it really... It draws the picture. It becomes real more than we know. Pure hell."

Justin Barrow, 42, of Moncton, has been charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 15 death of Max Boudreau.

Barrow was scheduled to make his court appearance by phone Monday morning, but it was pushed until the afternoon at the request of the prosecutor who wanted him present in the courtroom.

That was fine with Boudreau.

"I want to see that guy. I want to look him in the eyes. I want to see him. I want him to see me. Us, not just me. There's a whole whack of friends and family that absolutely loved that guy," said Boudreau.

In a packed courtroom, Boudreau leaned forward and stared at Barrow during the appearance, but the accused kept his eyes squarely on the judge.

The brief appearance ended in a matter of minutes with Barrow's lawyer asking for disclosure of the Crown's evidence. The accused is scheduled to appear again on Jan. 23, this time via telephone.

Not knowing what happened the night of his son's death has been a struggle for Boudreau.

Max Boudreau was last seen leaving a Dieppe bar around 3 a.m. on Nov. 15. He was reported missing to police two days later on Nov. 17.

His remains were found in a wooded area in a new subdivision in Irishtown, just north of Moncton, on Nov. 22.

" I think that is the worst, is not knowing -- not knowing any details at all,” said Boudreau, when asked what he knows about his son's death. “I absolutely understand the RCMP can not divulge any information, but not knowing anything is probably the hardest thing."

Boudreau was glad to see many of Max's friends at court on Monday to show their support. He remembers his son as a fun-loving young man.

"His laugh -- it was infectious," he said. "His smile, his eyes. Everything about him."