NORTH BAY, ON -- A woman fabricated a story about a missing man being beaten to death because she wanted “attention,” an Ontario court of Justice was told Wednesday.

Danielle Leduc-Mitchell, 31, told North Bay police last year she witnessed Luc Joly-Durocher being beaten to death. She also told Det. Const. Paul Brewer, who was investigating Joly-Durocher's disappearance March 4, 2011, the body was dumped near his hometown of Temiscaming, Que.

City police, assisted by the Ontario Provincial Police and Surete du Quebec, spent five months investigating her statements, including having divers search a lagoon and conducting interviews with the people she accused of the killing.

“Considerable police resources were utilized,” Crown attorney Paul Larsh said, adding the comprehensive investigation included polygraph tests.

Larsh said the family and friends of Joly-Durocher suffered because of Leduc-Mitchell's lie, as well as the added distress of knowing time and resources were wasted.

The search for Joly-Durocher, who was 20 when he was last seen in downtown North Bay, continues.
Leduc-Mitchell was subsequently charged with obstructing justice and public mischief in November and her trial was to begin this week, but the North Bay woman instead pleaded guilty Wednesday.

Judge Jean-Gilles Lebel registered the guilty verdicts and ordered a pre-sentence report, and set sentencing for Oct. 23.

A group of Joly-Durocher's family and friends were in court during the reading of agreed facts and guilty pleas, and Brewer spoke with them afterward about the sentencing procedure.

dave.dale@sunmedia.ca