Paris Laroche (L) allegedly murdered her former boyfriend Sidney Mantee (R) in March, 2020. (Facebook)

By Ian Holmes

gruesome details

‘I smashed his head in with a hammer:’ accused Nanaimo murderer leads undercover police to body parts

Jan 26, 2024 | 4:32 PM

Editor’s note: The story contains extremely graphic details which will likely disturb some readers. Discretion is strongly advised.

VANCOUVER — Police quickly gained the trust of a Nanaimo woman during a 2021 undercover operation, who candidly detailed how she killed her former boyfriend and disposed of his remains.

Jarring testimony in BC Supreme Court in Vancouver heard recorded confessions from Paris Jayanne Laroche, 28, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and interfering with the body of 32-year-old Sidney Joseph Mantee.

Laroche allegedly smashed the back of Mantee’s head multiple times with a small sledgehammer as he slept face-down on the early morning of March 5, 2020, at the Rosehill St. apartment unit they shared.

She allegedly then slit Mantee’s throat and cut up his remains into many pieces and disposed of the body parts over the course of several months.

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The gory details were laid out in testimony from an undercover RCMP officer in response to a reported confession to Nanaimo RCMP from a close friend of Laroche’s several days prior.

The officer, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered publication ban, worked with a fellow officer to hear Laroche confess 16 minutes into a recorded dialogue between the two parties on April 29, 2021, at her apartment.

Offers were made by the undercover officers and accepted by Laroche to help dispose of Mantee’s body and eliminate evidence connected to his death.

“I smashed his head in with a hammer,” Laroche said to who she thought were truckers, one of which claimed he wanted to confront Mantee for abusing his sister.

Several hours of concealed audio recordings from multiple days of evidence gathered during the undercover investigation were played in court.

Laroche described cutting Mantee’s body up “piece by piece” in the bathtub.

The officer testified that Laroche surrendered multiple weapons that she used to kill Mantee and handle his remains.

“She provided us with a set of metal kitchen bowls which she explained that she had used to transport the victim’s innards and organs from the bathtub to the fridge. She also provided four kitchen knives that she has used to help chop up and cut up the victim’s remains.”

Cash was given by police to Laroche, who had expressed concern about monetary losses for relinquishing the items, while also stating she had vet bills to pay.

Laroche agreed to follow-up meetings with the undercover officers, including a videotaped encounter on the evening of May 2, 2021.

Several hours of concealed recordings from multiple days of the undercover investigation were played in court.

Laroche took the officers to various sites where she said she disposed of Mantee’s body during the second police scenario, the officer testified.

Laroche reported she would sit at the end of the pier on Newcastle Ave. near her home and use the ocean as a disposal site.

Paris Laroche told undercover police she disposed of portions of Mantee’s cut-up remains at this pier near her home on Newcastle Ave. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

She also admitted to flushing Mantee’s remains down three public toilets in the downtown area, as well as at Neck Point Park, Pipers Lagoon Park and Diver Lake.

Back at Laroche’s apartment following the site visits, the officer stated Laroche outlined her detailed cleaning efforts following Mantee’s death.

“She thought that perhaps some blood had gotten in behind the baseboards, they had never been removed to be cleaned, so she thought there could be some of the victim’s blood behind there.”

Earlier in the trial the Crown stated portions of Mantee’s remains were found at the south Nanaimo business where Laroche and Mantee worked together.

The trial also previously heard Laroche confess to several other people, including a close friend.

Robyn Bartle and her mother both reported confessions from Laroche, with the women also reporting the accused was in an abusive relationship with Mantee.

The month-long trial started this past Monday and is expected to hear Laroche’s legal team lodge a self-defence argument.

Court was told early in the trial that no reports of abuse by Mantee toward Laroche were reported to police.

Laroche, who has no prior criminal record, was charged in March 2022 and has been in custody ever since.

Mantee’s case was long considered a missing person file until a report to Nanaimo RCMP in April 2021 regarding Laroche’s confession eventually shifted the case to a homicide investigation.

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ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes