RCMP in Cape Breton have charged a man and arrested two others in connection with the death of a missing boater from Petit-de-Grat.
Police arrested Craig Landry in the case on Thursday.
The 40-year-old Petit-de-Grat man appeared in Port Hawkesbury provincial court on Friday to face a charge of second-degree murder.
Police arrested a 65-year-old man in Little Anse just after 11 a.m. on Friday and a 43-year-old man in Arichat at 11:45 a.m.
Both men are in custody. No charges have been laid against them at this time.
Investigators say Phillip Joseph Boudreau was last seen Saturday morning at approximately 6 a.m. His boat was spotted overturned near the wharf in Petit-de-Grat harbor around 7:30 a.m. and later recovered.
Divers and search crews have been scouring the area for the 43-year-old man since the weekend.
Sgt. Mark MacPherson confirms an underwater recovery team returned to the Petit-de-Grat harbour on Friday.
Police say their search is now a recovery mission, as the length of time someone could survive in water so cold has long since elapsed.
“We are still searching for Mr. Boudreau’s remains,” says MacPherson. “We are hopeful that will be successful at this time.”
The RCMP’s major crime unit has been called in to investigate reports of an alleged altercation involving a large fishing vessel and Boudreau's boat before he disappeared.
Earlier this week, police seized the fishing boat they believe may have been involved in the dispute with Boudreau. It is now secured in a locked compound in nearby Arichat.
Community torn apart by tragedy
It’s back to business as usual for fishermen in Petit-de-Grat but life is anything but normal in the community which is still reeling from Saturday’s events.
“This tragedy has really hurt the community. It’s pinned families against families,” says storeowner Donna Boudreau. “All I can say is that everyone is torn. Everybody feels for the families involved – both sides – no one is pointing fingers at this point.”
Police won’t discuss a possible motive for the murder but one fisherman claims the victim had a reputation as a troublemaker.
“He liked to steal stuff and he liked to poach lobster and cause a racket,” says fisherman Devin Pierce. “That was his reputation.”
Another fisherman, who did not want to be identified, claims authorities did not act on complaints about the victim’s behavior.
“He was reported. There was reports of him poaching before but they didn’t do anything about it,” he says. “They should have picked him up.”
Investigators won’t comment on reports that gunshots were heard at the mouth of the harbour at the time of Boudreau’s disappearance.
“There are some rumours in the community. I can’t comment on that at this time,” says MacPherson. “All I can say is the matter is still under investigation.”
With files from CTV Atlantic's Randy MacDonald
