Mother of Norah and Romy Carpentier delivers emotional testimony on final day of coroner’s inquest

An emotional testimony from the mother of Norah and Romy Carpentier, on the final day of the coroner’s inquest into their July 2020 deaths.

Amélie Lemieux read a letter she wrote about her girls, killed at the hands of their father who then took his own life.

She said Nora wanted to be a video game developer and Romy wanted to be a mother like her, that she’ll never get to watch them grow up and accomplish these things.

Martin Carpentier and his daughters disappeared after their vehicle crashed on the evening of July 8, 2020 – on a highway in St-Apollinaire, southwest of Quebec City. An Amber Alert went out the next afternoon.

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Lemieux said she had no idea what her daughters lived in the lead-up to their deaths, whether they were injured, if they were hungry, if they called for her.

She said: “I wasn’t with my girls and even to this day, it haunts me.”

The search itself was moved eight kilometres away from the initial crash site when witnesses contacted police about screams being heard in the middle of the night in a wooded area, but nothing was found. Then it was moved back.

The bodies of the sisters were discovered on July 11, less than 2 kilometres from original site of the accident.

• Inquest hears more about process to issue Amber Alert after crash involving girls, father
• Police delayed sending Amber Alert until learning more about father’s psychological state, inquest hears

Lemieux criticized the search operations by the Sûreté du Québec. She said the fact that Martin didn’t have a criminal record or a history of violence worked against them.

She said she feels the police didn’t place enough importance on the disappearance of her kids.

Lawyers representing the SQ said the lack of personnel contributed to the delay and that they did the best they could.

The coroner is expected to deliver a report by the fall.