Durham police say they have recovered the remains of Kandis Fitzpatrick in Oshawa, after convicted killer Adam Strong led them to her body.
Strong was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 18-year-old Rori Hache, who disappeared in Aug. 2017, and 19-year-old Fitzpatrick, who was last seen by her family in 2008.
Hache’s remains were discovered in Sept. 2017, but Fitzpatrick’s remains were never found.
In March 2021, Strong was convicted of first-degree murder in Hache’s death and manslaughter in connection with Fitzpatrick’s death.
On Wednesday, police said Strong had disclosed information about Fitzpatrick’s whereabouts to correctional staff while incarcerated last summer.
“In July 2021, our homicide unit received information that Mr. Strong while incarcerated had disclosed information pertaining to the location of Kandis Fitzpatrick's remains,” Det. Sgt. Doris Carriere said at a press conference Wednesday morning.
In the following weeks, Carriere said police conducted a series of interviews with Strong and that he led police to Fitzpatrick’s body.
“Investigators subsequently obtained judicial authorization to take custody of Adam Strong, and on November 4 we conducted an operation which led us to a small clearing by the tree line behind Secreto Drive in Oshawa,” Carriere said.
Police said human remains were discovered at the scene between Nov. 8 and Nov. 13.
On Wednesday, police confirmed that the remains were those of Fitzpatrick - a discovery made 14 years after she went missing.
“This discovery and the details obtained through our interviews will not change the outcome of these tragic events or the trauma endured by the victim's family and friends. Our goal in this recovery was to be able to provide some closure to Kandis’ family and all that were affected by this crime,” Carriere said.
Fitzpatrick’s and Hache’s family attended today’s press conference and were seen embracing each other after the news was announced.
Hache’s mother, Shanan Dionne, said the discovery is a “miracle.”
“It felt like November 9, 2017 all over again to me. That's what it felt like and it was just a rush of emotions and it's a miracle she's home,” she said.
“I'm blessed that she's home and she's gonna be put to peace and be back with her family where she belongs.”
Dionne, however, said Strong does not deserve praise for helping the police.
“Conscience is ugly when you're dealing with it in the dark all by yourself, you know, so I'm not grateful to him. I'm thankful to God that he made this happen, and you know, I'm happy for the family to have closure now,” Dionne said.
Carriere said police did not provide any incentive to Strong to provide the location of Fitzpatrick’s remains.
“What I can say is there was no financial compensation or no added privilege for him while in custody as a result of our actions. The question as to why, that would be a question for Mr. Strong.”
Carriere added that Strong’s conviction will not be revisited in court as the case is closed.
“He's already been convicted of those offenses, we can’t upgrade charges post-conviction, and at this time we're not looking to lay any additional charges,” he said.
In his decision in March, Superior Court Justice Joseph Di Luca said that he was satisfied that Strong killed Fitzpatrick and dismembered her body, but that there was a lack of evidence to prove he murdered the young woman, resulting in a manslaughter charge.
Di Luca added that it was only clear the accused "unlawfully caused her death and “probably did (intend to kill Fitzpatrick).”
