More than 12 years after Jolene Riendeau went missing from the Montreal neighbourhood of Point St-Charles, her mother said goodbye to the 10-year-old girl with a powerful eulogy.
In the closing address at her daughter's funeral, Dolores Soucy said she would honour Riendeau's memory through work advocating for missing children and their families.
"I will be the No. 1 militant," Soucy said. "Jolene, mommy will always be there."
Riendeau disappeared from in April 1999 after buying a bag of chips at a local convenience store. Her body was found in September 2010, but police only announced the discovery last week to avoid affecting the investigation into her death.
The girl's aunt also spoke at the funeral, held at a Pointe St-Charles Catholic church. She said the family is relieved that her niece's body was found, but anxious that the killer is still at large.
Late last week, police detained a 47-year-old man in relation to the girl's death, but he was later released. He remains the prime suspect in the case.
On Friday, hundreds filled the church's pews, including homicide detectives and parents of other missing children who attended to support the family.
The family chose to hold the funeral in Pointe St-Charles to honour Riendeau's memory, despite moving away after the disappearance. The priest who presided over the service had a long history with the family, having officiated at the girl's baptism, her communion, and the wedding of her parents.
Ten doves were to be released after the funeral in Riendeau's memory.
The service came a day after Riendeau's loved ones held a visitation in the working-class neighbourhood where she disappeared. It was a packed house inside the Laurent Theriault Funeral Home, where they showed a video of a girl described as a caring and happy child with lots of friends.
"(She was a) very good kid," her great-aunt Janine Soucy told CTV Montreal on Thursday. "She was always laughing, all the time."
"It's not easy for us -- imagine (how it is) for the family," said family friend Joanne Maille. "At least now we know where she is."
Instead of flowers, the family asked guests to the visitation to donate to The Missing Children's Network in Riendeau's name.
Another visitation was held Friday morning at the Paroisse Ste-Charles.
When Riendeau disappeared, her case made national headlines as police mounted an extensive search.
Her body was finally found last September under the nearby Champlain Bridge.
With files from The Canadian Press and reports by CTV Montreal's Rob Lurie and Derek Conlon
