Gatineau student's funeral draws hundreds

Friends and family members of Valerie Leblanc have gathered at a church in Gatineau, Que., to mourn the loss of the 18-year-old student, who was found dead a week ago outside her school.

About 500 mournerswere in attendanceat Cathdrale Saint-Joseph in Gatineau's Hull sector for the 2 p.m. funeral service.

Manywore fedoras and other hatsto honour Leblanc, who was often seen sporting a hat while in attendance at Cgep de l'Outaouais.

Leblanc was beginning her second-year at the Gabrielle Roy campus of the school and had aspirations of becoming a police officer.

Herbody was found beaten and burned in the woods near her school eight days ago.

Gatineau's police chief said Tuesday there are still no suspects in the slaying, but said he's confident in his officers and said there is no need to turn the case over to provincial police.

Police have put out an appeal for members of the public with potential leads in the case to call police at a special hotline at 819-243-2346 ext. 6677. Gatineau police have also set up a Facebook page in an effort to gather information in the case.

Police have also opened a parallel investigation into whether four people who first came upon the body may have "manipulated" it and potentially compromised the investigation. No charges have been laid in that investigation.