MONTREAL - Paul Laplante, the man charged with the first-degree murder of his wife Diane Gregoire, was found dead in his jail cell in Rivieres-des-Prairies Monday.
The body of the former mayor of St-Liboire, Quebec was found in his cell at around 10:30 a.m. He was pronounced dead at noon.
The Surete du Quebec would not confirm whether the 54-year-old had hanged himself, as had been reported by some media outlets.
Officials are interviewing everyone on his floor in the jail in an effort to confirm if his death was self-inflicted.
One criminologist suggested authorities should have been monitoring Laplante more closely, given the circumstances of his incarceration.
"I don't know why the administration of the prison didn't take care of him and put him in a secure wing, because the other inmates could beat him because he perhaps committed a crime against a woman," said Jean Claude Bernheim.
Berheim also said that correctional facilities must do more to assess the psychological state of inmates and provide support where necessary.
Laplante was scheduled to appear before a judge on Feb. 20, after having changed lawyers from Robert La Haye -- who deemed his agenda too full -- to Marc Labelle.
His conditions included a stipulation that he not be allowed to contact his son or daughter.
When Laplante's wife Diane Gregoire vanished Jan. 31, 2008, Laplante told investigators that he had last seen her sitting in their van in the parking lot of Promenades St. Bruno while he went inside to eat breakfast.
Gregoire's remains were found in Coteau-du-Lac in late November.
Laplante, who was arrested Dec. 13 on the murder charges, is survived by his two adult children.
Laplante had reportedly been estranged from his two children for some time before his arrest.
He was forbidden from seeing them while in jail awaiting trial.
Officials wouldn't say whether he was alone in his jail cell at the time of his death. It is believed that he shared a cell with another inmate.
