CANADA Canada - Jean Gravel, 24, & Jean-Guy Champagne, 25, Trois-Rivières, QC, 6 July 1972

[TheArtfulDetective]

Jean Gravel & Jean-Guy Champagne



Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: July 6-7, 1972
Location Last Seen: Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada

Details of Disappearance:
Jean Gravel and Jean-Guy Champagne were employees of the Rio Bar in downtown Trois-Rivières, Québec. On July 6, 1972, they arrived at work in the early evening; they were to work there until closing. An altercation involving patrons at the bar took place that evening but was diffused and everything returned to normal. Around 4:00 am, Gravel and Champagne left the Rio. They have not been seen or heard from since. They were reported missing on July 10, 1972. Foul play is suspected in their case.
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Jean Gravel


Physical Description:
Date of Birth: 1947
Age: 24
Race: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Height: 173 cm / 5 ft 8 in
Weight: 63 kg / 139 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias:
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown

Clothing & Personal Items:
Clothing: Yellow corduroy pants. Beige wool vest. Dark blue coat. Leather, black, & white running shoes.
Jewelry: Gold ring on the left ring finger. Indian necklace assorted colors.
Additional Personal Items: Unknown

Jean Gravel | Cold cases - Sûreté du Québec
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Jean-Guy Champagne


Physical Description:
Date of Birth: 1946
Age: 25
Race: Caucasian
Gender: Male
Height: 180cm / 5 ft 11 in
Weight: 74kg / 163lb
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias:
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Scar on chin

Clothing & Personal Items:
Clothing: Green cotton pants. White cotton shirt. Green cotton coat. Black shoes, size 10 - 10.5.
Jewelry: Silver, wedding ring on the left ring finger.
Additional Personal Items: Possibly wearing a "Timex" brand watch.
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Investigating Agency(s):
If you have information on this case, please contact any of the following:

1. Sûreté du Québec: 1-800-659-4264
   Reference Case#: 166-720814-008
2. Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-TIPS(8477) or online at Canadian Crime Stoppers Association
   Crime Stoppers provides anonymous tipping
3. Send email to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains at:
   [email protected]

Canada's Missing | Case details
La double disparition de Gravel et Champagne

 

[TheArtfulDetective]

THE DOUBLE DISAPPEARANCE OF GRAVEL AND CHAMPAGNE

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

On the night of July 6 to 7, 1972, Jean Gravel, 24, and Jean-Guy Champagne, 25, worked behind the bar of the Rio cabaret, located on rue Des Forges, in Trois-Rivières. The two young people had recently been hired there [1] .

At closing time, around 3:00 am, the situation escalated when the server [2] shut down the record player. A customer got up immediately to turn the music back on. The waiter returned to the charge, explaining to him that he had to leave. With four or five friends, the mysterious customer started a fight and the waiter was badly beaten. Later questioned by investigators, he said he was unable to identify his attackers.

The situation returned to normal enough to then allow Gravel and Champagne to count their cash register and deposit everything in a plastic bag which they left behind the bar. A friend of theirs was waiting for them outside for a bite to eat but the fight had scared him away. Around 4:00 am, Gravel and Champagne left the Rio. They were never to be seen again, neither dead nor alive.


Jean Gravel

A police officer stuck a ticket in the windshield of Champagne's car at 4:40 am, it being illegally parked near the Rio. But its owner never came to pick it up. One of the two missing had taken with him the keys to the cabaret and a sum of $ 200 to buy alcohol for the customers the following evening, in addition to a check that will never be cashed. The hypothesis that they wanted to steal their employer was therefore ruled out. In addition, Champagne had received from his boss, a few days earlier, another check for $ 90 which also left no trace thereafter.

Since Gravel regularly visited a young girl from Iberville, where he returned every week to see his family, we had every reason to believe that something serious had happened since they received no news from him. . Strangely, she subsequently answered several anonymous calls asking where Jean Gravel was.


Jean-Guy Champange

Armand Désaulniers, the investigator in charge of this affair, came up against “a real conspiracy of silence […] Dozens of witnesses seem to know very well what could have happened to Jean Gravel and Jean-Guy Champagne. First, at the Rio cabaret, rue Des Forges in Trois-Rivières, it's a real wall of silence. Both employees and customers have seen nothing, know nothing ” [3] .

According to certain rumors which still persist today, this disappearance would hide a double murder. But then, what would be the motive? Gravel and Champagne had not even been involved in the fight that had preceded their departure. Have unscrupulous customers returned to the scene and, blinded by an inordinate desire for revenge, attacked the wrong people?

The article published by Allô Police on August 20 gave credit to this thesis by revealing that young bandits, thieves, receivers and drug smugglers used to frequent the Rio cabaret.

continue reading here: La double disparition de Gravel et Champagne

***ARTICLE TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH