A 21-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after the body of an elderly woman was found at a home in Gatineau's Hull neighbourhood on Wednesday.

Gatineau police received a call at noon Wednesday about an agitated man who was acting suspiciously on Boulevard de la Cité-des-jeunes.

When officers arrived they found a man at the back of a home at 171 Boul. de la Cité-des-jeunes. As they were investigating, police discovered a woman's body.

Police initially considered the death suspicious but confirmed it was a homicide Thursday morning.

The agitated man at the scene was arrested Wednesday.

Relatives identified the victim as Thérèse Gauvreau. She was part of a family well known in the Outaouais for running the business Gauvreau Top Soil. The house where her body was found is registered to the company.

Jean-François Dupuis, 21, was charged with second-degree murder and appeared in court briefly Thursday.

He will remain in custody while he undergoes a five-day psychiatric assessment to determine if he is fit to stand trial.

The investigation continues.