Man charged with 2nd-degree murder of his fiancée in Hemmingford
Posted October 2, 2024 11:26 am.
Last Updated October 2, 2024 4:24 pm.
A 31-year-old man was charged on Wednesday afternoon with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his fiancée Kelsey Watt.
The 29-year-old mother went missing in Hemmingford on Sept. 21, about 60 kilometres south of Montreal — near the U.S. border.
A previous publication ban regarding any information that could identify the victim was lifted.
Her body was found last Thursday, not far from her home in a wooded area.
Nicholas Gravel was arrested that same day and charged the next with causing indignity to a body.
According to the official charge sheet on Wednesday, the offence took place between Sept. 15 and 21 in Hemmingford and “did cause the death of Kelsey Watt, thereby a second-degree murder.”
Gravel was wearing a large grey T-shirt as he appeared via video at the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield courthouse from a detention centre in Montreal.
The Crown announced it had disclosed part of the evidence to the defence and Gravel was told not to contact a lengthy list of witnesses.
An autopsy was expected to be performed to determine the exact cause of death, but no information has been released publicly as of yet.
SQ had reported that Watt was last seen on Saturday, Sept. 21, leaving her home.
A ground search was suspended on Sept. 25 and a body found the next morning.
Gravel remains detained and returns to court Dec. 16 for a preliminary hearing.
According to SOS Violence Conjugale, a group that advocates for victims of intimate partner violence, Watt’s death is the 11th femicide reported in Quebec in 2024.
-With files from The Canadian Press
