'It changed the City of Moncton': Murdered police officers remembered 50 years later
CTV
Dozens gathered at a police memorial in Moncton, N.B., Friday morning to remember and honour Const. Michael O’Leary and Cpl. Aurèle Bourgeois on the 50th anniversary of their tragic deaths.
Warning: Some readers may find the details in this article disturbing
Friday marks 50 years to the day since Const. Michael O’Leary and Cpl. Aurèle Bourgeois were murdered while on duty in New Brunswick.
Officials say the two police officers were captured while investigating a kidnapping. After the boy was returned safely, the officers were checking out a vehicle without headlights – and they were never heard from again.
The officers were found buried in shallow graves on Dec. 15, 1974. Reports say they were shot through the head and wearing handcuffs.
James Hutchison and Richard Ambrose were arrested and convicted of murder.
“I think it changed the City of Moncton,” said David Morrisey, who joined the police force just months after the incident.
“I think nobody ever thought that a Moncton police officer would ever get shot or killed or anything and even us, I didn’t go to work everyday thinking, ‘I’m going to get shot.’ You just couldn’t do that.”
