Police identify Lowertown stabbing victim, lay murder charge

Ottawa police have identified the person they say was killed Tuesday afternoon in Lowertown and charged someone with second-degree murder over her death.

Ottawa woman Renée Descary, 51, was found with stab wounds in a home on Heney Street in the central Ottawa neighbourhood around 4:40 p.m, police said Wednesday. 

Oliver Denia, 24, of Ottawa, has been charged with second-degree murder. Deputy police Chief Steve Bell, who's acting chief for the service this week, told CBC News they have no information that he and Descary knew each other.

Members of the public helped detain the suspect, with some of them suffering minor injuries in the process, according to police.

"[They] helped prevent further injury to other people and their actions were quite heroic," Bell said.

An Ottawa paramedic spokesperson confirmed an adult was found dead at the scene, while another person was taken to hospital in stable condition. Bell said the second person has been discharged.

Descary was identified by police Wednesday morning, at which point police labelled her death a femicide.

Ottawa police have said femicides are killings of women and girls because of their gender. In this case, Bell said the force is referring to the "intentional killing of a woman at the hands of a man."

The term is sometimes more broadly or more narrowly applied, according to the Canadian Femicide Observatory.

Neighbours mourn community member 

The Canada Revenue Agency confirmed that Descary was one of its employees. In a statement, a spokesperson wrote the agency is "deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic loss," adding that employees will have support "through this difficult time."

Daniel Lavigueur said the victim was well-known to other residents in the co-op.

He has lived in the area since 2008 and said many neighbours are feeling distraught.

"In my years living here, this is the first time that we've had such a major crime, especially somebody so close. So people are a little bit in denial but also very fearful," he said.

Michel Emard said he knew Descary since childhood, when she was his guidance councillor. He lives in, and is a member of the board for, the same co-op as Descary.

"She was a very kind person, she was also on the board for a very long time," Emard remembered. "She was always willing to help people."

Kirim Belkhir also lives nearby. He said that Descary was a friend of his wife's, who has taken her death hard. 

"Everybody loves her, to be honest … we can't believe it." Belkhir said.

Belkhir said he now feels Ottawa is an unsafe city.

"Each day we hear [about] a stabbing," he said. "I'm not sure what's happened — and why? Nobody knows why."