'We condemn the violence that took her life,' says union president
Montreal police are searching for a suspect after a 45-year-old woman was found dead in her downtown apartment on Tuesday, in a killing that allegedly took place while she was in the middle of a virtual meeting with a work colleague.
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) said it received a call for a wellness check at around 3:25 p.m. on Sept. 22, Noovo Info reported. When officers arrived, they found Leïla Ben Salem unresponsive, and her death was confirmed on site.
The suspect allegedly gained access to Ben Salem's apartment and fatally beat her with a blunt object. The outlet reported that her son is 12 years old.
Ben Salem had owned her condo in the building, which is undergoing renovations, for only a short time, according to Noovo Info.
Police say motive remains unknown
SPVM spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant told CTV News shortly after the death that suspects were being sought. "There is still a police operation underway," he said.
The circumstances of the killing, including the motive, remain unknown, according to Noovo Info. Another SPVM spokesperson, Raphaël Bergeron, told the outlet that the weapon believed to have been used is a blunt object and that it will be analyzed. "We can describe it as a violent death," he said, in remarks originally in French.
Bergeron said investigators will review any available surveillance camera footage, that crime scene analyses are being carried out and that investigators have met with various witnesses.
Union mourns lost member
The Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) issued a statement on Sept. 23 identifying Ben Salem as a member of its Montreal Local 10008.
"I am shocked and heartbroken that Leïla Ben Salem, a member of Montreal Local 10008, was killed in Montreal," UTE national president Adam Jackson wrote. "We condemn the violence that took her life."
Jackson said the union — which represents more than 32,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees — would work with the local to support Ben Salem's colleagues and stood ready to assist her family in ways they welcome. "We ask that their privacy be respected as they grieve," he wrote.
The union's statement directed CRA employees and their eligible family members who have been affected to the Employee Assistance Program, available 24 hours a day at 1-800-663-1142.
