“I have a numb feeling right now,” Conrad Rousselle told CTV News in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.
Rousselle said he was dealing with grief and shock after his best friend Brian Desormeaux, 46, was found dead at his Coniston home with his wife Janet, 43, and 17-year-old son Ashton on Sunday night.  .
Brian (left), Ashton (center) and Janet Desormeaux (right) died in a murder-suicide Sunday night, according to Sudbury police.  (Facebook)
  “I feel like they were my family,” she said.
Details about the deaths are scarce, but Sudbury police said they are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide and are awaiting the results of autopsies to confirm the cause of death.

TIE UPPER SHOULDER

Rousselle said he first met the Desormeaux family in 2008 at a North Bay arm wrestling tournament where Brian was competing and they became fast friends.
At the time, he said Brian was an amateur who was so strong he was beating professionals.
Brian Desormeaux was part of the core members of the Rock City Reapers Arm Wrestling Club.  (Facebook)
Roussel describes Brian as a family man who brought his wife and children everywhere.  Ashton was just two years old when Roussel met him and “wanted to do what his dad did,” so he would be held up to the arm table.  Later, he would participate in competitions.
Ashton and Brian Desormeaux in the arm wrestling competition posted in 2017. (Facebook)
The two men along with two others formed the Sudbury arm team called the Rock City Reapers, and the community has grown to about 25 members who all train together.
Brian was so committed, within two weeks he had a tattoo of his new team logo, Roussel said.
Brian and Rousselle recently hosted the 7th annual Sudbury Arm Wrestling Championships which saw 95 competitors from across Ontario flex their muscles at a local sports bar.
Brian Desormeaux (right) competes in the recent Sudbury Arms Championship tournament.  October 22/22 (Facebook)
The Desormeaux family hosted the tournament after party at their home on Oct. 22, which was the last time Rousselle said he saw them.
“If I had known it was the last night…” he said.
“(Brian) brought me back home the next morning.”

SUPPORTING EACH OTHER

Members of the club gathered to mourn the death of the family on Monday night.
“It’s unfortunate moments like this that seem to bring people together,” Rachel Wade said in a post on the club’s social media page Tuesday morning.
“We all needed time to talk, reflect and share hand stories about the Desormeauxs.”
He went on to describe each of the three family members in the post.
“Brian was not only an arm wrestler, but a friend, role model, teacher, coach and like a dad to many of the younger athletes. He had a tough exterior, but he was a really good guy underneath. He cared about his family and the arm sport. He provided contacts for many of us to find work and supported anyone who asked for or needed help. He was a good member of the community who helped anyone who needed it. Brian, your enthusiasm and dedication to the sport will be greatly missed.” , Wade said.
“Janet, your smile, passion and dedication to your family and their endeavors was infectious. Those who knew you, and your wife, Bessie, knew your heart was always in the right place. Your overwhelming love for your children and your husband it was difficult You gave your whole family… which you couldn’t ask for more from a mom and your wife.’
Rousselle said Janet loved to decorate for every season and occasion and that the house always smelled great and the food was always plentiful.
Ashton was a student at St.  Charles College and the school board said it is providing support and resources to grieving staff and students.
“Ashton, you were the next generation of wrestling greats. Your passion as a kid and young man for the sport is what we all want in our younger athletes. You were fierce and fiery on the table and proved you could back your words In person to I watched you grow from a two-year-old rug rat to a teenager not to be messed with at the table,” Wade said.

TAKE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS SERIOUSLY

“I would like everyone to know to take mental health with the utmost seriousness,” Roussel said.
“We need to be more charitable, to always have an open mind for those we don’t understand. Mental illness is real and people need to put aside their pride and seek help.”
The club plans to raise money for the local mental health club in honor of the bereaved family.
“They just really, honestly loved each other more than anything,” Roussel said.
In addition, the club plans to compete in the Canadian Armwrestling Championships in Cape Breton next year in Desormeaux’s honor.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there is help available.  Find local services here.