Two years after unexplained death, candlelight vigil pays respects to Bad News Brown

Montreal based rapper Bad News Brown is seen in this undated handout photo. (Trilateral Entertainment)

MONTREAL—Two years ago, Bad News Brown’s body was found near the Lachine Canal, cutting short the career of one of Quebec’s most promising young hip hop artists.

On Monday evening, dozens of Paul Frappier’s friends, fans and family held a candlelight vigil at the corner of Ste-Catherine St. and Clark St. to remember the 33-year-old artist.

His murder was a mystery then and remains one now. No suspects were named, no motives have ever been divined and no arrests made by the Montreal police—with no closure for family and friends.

"It is unbelievable," said Jocelyne Dumas, his adoptive mother. But she took solace in the ceremony, and the mural painted of her son.

"It is very comforting for a mother to have that opportunity to see so many of my son's friends."

Frappier’s career was starting to take off when he was killed. He had opened for internationally-renowned stars like Snoop Dog and Kanye West. He enjoyed a near-meteoric rise for someone who started busking in the Montreal metro by playing his harmonica.

Two years later, and Frappier’s former manager still suspects that people know something about the crime but have elected to stay silent.

“It’s an ongoing investigation, I think they did what they could do at that time, but they didn’t have enough sources or resources to go further and speak to people in the community who could have known,” said Henry-Francois Gelot, Bad News Brown’s former manager.

Since his slaying, a mural was painted where Monday night’s vigil was held, showing Bad News Brown playing his trademark harmonica.