Some of Sidney Mantee's remains were found at a pair of north Nanaimo waterfront parks. (Nanaimo RCMP)

By Ian Holmes

chilling details

‘She told me that she murdered Sid:’ confessions revealed following gruesome death in Nanaimo

Jan 25, 2024 | 5:34 AM

Editor’s note: The story contains graphic details and reader discretion is advised.

NANAIMO — A confession to a friend was entered as key evidence against a woman accused of killing her former boyfriend and disposing of his body.

A local woman testified this week in an ongoing first degree murder trial, Paris Jayanne Laroche, 28, confessed to killing Sidney Joseph Mantee in Nanaimo.

Laroche allegedly murdered the 33-year-old Mantee March 5, 2020 at the Rosehill St. apartment unit the then broken up couple shared.

Also charged with interfering with a dead body, Laroche is accused of cutting Mantee’s remains into pieces and spreading his body parts around Nanaimo.

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During a visit to Robyn Bartle’s family home on April 18, 2021 for a birthday celebration, Bartle testified Laroche initiated the confession to her privately in the backyard.

“She told me that she murdered Sid and I was seriously freaked-out and I had many questions for her,” Bartle recounted in court on Tuesday, Jan. 23, later saying further details offered by Laroche indicated she’d beaten Mantee with a hammer.

Bartle, aware Mantee was previously reported missing, was under the impression he had moved to Victoria after Laroche and Mantee split up.

Later in the day, the pair then went for a walk off the property with Bartle testifying the confession had left her “shaking for 24 hours.”

Bartle told Laroche she didn’t want to hear any further gory details, while Laroche said she would harm herself if police were informed.

Saying it was the right thing to do, Bartle reported Laroche’s confession to police in-person the following morning, emphasizing during her statement the abusive nature of Laroche’s and Mantee’s five year relationship.

A violent history
Mantee had threatened Laroche, her cats and family, Bartle told court.

“She just finished getting rid of the body and I found that particularly disturbing because he was missing for a while,” Bartle testified.

Bartle told the court Laroche had said Mantee would “strangled her until she passed out and beat her in places that were hard to see.”

She recalled Mantee beating up his dog which had to be put down, as well as a family get-together where Mantee declared his Indigenous culture gave him the right to beat women.

After Laroche had an abortion, Bartle said she witnessed an unsupportive Mantee verbally berate her friend, complaining they didn’t have enough money to watch television at their apartment.

“I was horrified by that, because that’s not something you tell your significant other after coming out of the hospital,” Bartle said.

Paris Laroche was subject of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of her boyfriend Sidney Mantee, court was told (Submitted photo)

Investigation continues
Following the confession, Bartle described her relationship with Laroche as uncomfortable, referencing a walk the pair later went on in Nanaimo’s Neck Point Park.

“…she’d found out that I was the one that went to police and I was concerned and asked her ‘well how mad at me are you?’ At this point we were in the bush and she had a knife on her and she goes ‘well that depends on the outcome of this.’…I found that very unsettling and very uncomfortable.”

Laroche was known to regularly carry a knife on her, the trial heard.

Under cross-examination, Bartle told court Laroche was “really scared” during the ongoing police investigation and she was afraid nobody would believe her position of an abuse victim.

Also Wednesday, Robyn Bartle’s mother testified on behalf of the Crown.

Following Laroche’s initial May 27, 2021 arrest, Jillian Bartle was driving Laroche to a local hotel since her apartment unit was cordoned off during the police investigation.

“I think I said ‘they’re saying you killed him or they’re charging you with murder or something and she goes ‘Yes, I killed him, I thought you knew.,” Jillian Bartle told the trial.

Laorche was a regular visitor at the Bartle household during her senior year in high school, including living there for several months in her desire for a more stable environment.

Court proceedings
Laroche pleaded not guilty to both charges against her during the opening day of her trial on Monday, Jan. 22.

The Crown alleges Laroche beat Mantee with a blunt object, then cut him up into pieces and disposed his body over several months around Nanaimo.

Crown prosecutor Nick Barber opened the trial by stating bone fragments confirmed to belong to Mantee were retrieved at Neck Point Park and Pipers Lagoon Park.

Barber stated Mantee’s remains were also found at a south Nanaimo business where Mantee and Laroche worked together.

Represented by a legal team including high-profile criminal defence attorney Glen Orris, an argument of self-defence is anticipated to counteract the Crown’s case.

Court was told during the opening day of the trial that no reports of abuse by Mantee toward Laroche were made to police.

Testimony by a pair of undercover police officers are expected to reveal more information about the investigation and Mantee’s death.

Laroche was arrested for a second time and charged in March 2022 in connection with Mantee’s death.

She’s been in custody ever since.

Her trial, overseen by Justice Robin Baird, is expected to last one month.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes