MONCTON, N.B. — A 62-year-old man facing a series of charges in the month-long disappearance of a woman made a brief appearance in a New Brunswick courtroom on Thursday.
Romeo Jacques Cormier was arrested just hours after the woman was discovered Wednesday, not far from where she was last seen leaving her job at a Moncton mall.
He has been charged with kidnapping, unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon, sexual assault, uttering death threats and theft.
A judge has placed a publication ban on anything that would identify the alleged victim.
Cormier sat quietly as the charges were read, but nodded to the family of the woman as he was led from court.
His case was adjourned until April 12. Police have said the 54-year-old woman was held in the basement apartment of a duplex before somehow getting out and flagging down a passing driver.
She was taken to hospital to be examined, and was reunited with family Wednesday night. She had been missing since Feb. 26.
At a news conference, two of the woman’s daughters thanked the police and community for their help.
One daughter said they learned a lot about the strength of their mother.
“We had absolutely no idea how strong until we sat with her all last night and heard her stories, and it’s incredible, incredible.”
They said their father is overjoyed.
“I wish you could see his smile,” one daughter said.
“We got our mother back, but we got our father back, too. He’s got his life back. He’s so happy.”
Another daughter read a brief statement from their mother.
“I would like you to know that I am so happy to have this horrible experience come to an end,” she said.
“Being home with family is the mental image that kept me focused each day and now it is reality again. I would like to send a special thanks to my guardian angel, the driver who picked me up moments after my escape. Although my recovery will take time, I know that the strength of my family will help me through.”
RCMP Const. Chantal Farrah said the investigation is ongoing, and while the investigation produced more than 600 tips, the accused’s name never surfaced.
She said police were as shocked as the family when the woman arrived at the police station on Wednesday.
“It was amazing,” Farrah said.
A surveillance camera showed the woman walking out the door of the shopping mall after she left work on Feb. 26 with her purse and lunch bag tucked under her left arm, and her car keys clutched in her right hand.
Her car was found in the parking lot.
Her unexplained disappearance drew attention from across the country, and a $25,000 reward was offered for her return.