Man from Hemmingford, Que., charged with 2nd-degree murder in partner's death

A man from Hemmingford, Que., has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of his partner, Kelsey Watt.

Nicholas Gravel, 31, appeared by video in court in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., Wednesday afternoon.

Gravel will remainin custody at Montreal's Bordeaux jail for the time being.

His next court appearance is Dec. 16. Gravel has the right to request a bail hearing.

He was initially charged with committing an indignity to a human body but the Crown was granted a stay of proceedings in that case.

Watt was last seen on Sept. 21, prompting authorities to organize large-scale searches with the help of dozens of volunteers.

The searches went on for several days. Last Thursday, provincial police arrested Gravel after discovering Watt's body in a wooded area in Hemmingford.

Hemmingford is a small town located just minutes away from the United States border, about 70 kilometres south of Montreal.

Several of Watt's family members attended Wednesday's hearing wearing white ribbons pinned to their clothing. The ribbon symbolizes a call for action on violence against women.

CBC News did not name the accused earlier because there was a publication ban in place to protect the identity of the victim and a child. That ban is no longer in place.

Watt's public Facebook profile has many photos of her and Gravel together. Her profile says the two are engaged. There are also several photos of a young boy with Gravel and Watt identified as the parents.

"My perfect little family," wrote Watt on a photo of the three of them in 2023.