TWO DEATHS TIED TO ALCOHOL ABUSE

Brothers' bodies found in apartment amid beer bottles

Two brothers have been found dead in a Scadding Ave. co-op apartment
littered with beer bottles.

Roger Francoeur, 56, and his brother Robert, who would have been 59 on
Sunday, were found yesterday in their eighth-floor apartment in The
Esplanade and Sherbourne St. area, police said.

``It looks like death by alcohol abuse,'' said Detective John Matthews.
``But we won't know until the post-mortem.

``It's a sad case. We've got two individuals who look like they had been
abusing alcohol for quite some time. They eventually hit the point where
they were unable to look after themselves.''

Roger Francoeur had lived in the apartment about 10 years, police said.

Matthews said police believe Roger was dead for about three days longer
than Robert.

``Robert was disabled and dependent on Roger to look after him,'' Matthews
said. Both men lived on disability pensions.

The brothers are believed to have died within the last week, police said,
adding foul play is not suspected.

Roger was found on the dining room floor of the one-bedroom apartment clad
only in boxers and a T-shirt. Robert was found nude at the foot of stairs
in the apartment, Matthews said.

``They drink a lot,'' said a man called Sam who delivers beer to the
apartment on a regular basis for Deal A Bottle, a liquor delivery company.

``They don't move from their place,'' he said. ``I deliver about $70 worth
of beer about four times a week.''

The men were found by Peter Dewdney, the co-op's general manager. ``I only
opened the door because I thought something was amiss,'' said Dewdney, who
noticed flyers outside the apartment.

The apartment was ``strewn with litter, clothing, cigarette butts, ashes
and beer bottles,'' Matthews said.

The brothers were raised with nine siblings in Val D'amour, N.B., said a
sister, Antoinette Franken, from their mother's home in Niagara Falls. Both
had dropped out of school - Roger after Grade 5, Franken said.

Both were divorced and each had three sons and a daughter.

Checked-by: derek rea