A man facing charges of first-degree murder in relation to the disappearance of his neighbour is now being investigated due to the sudden disappearance of two of his past wives, Ottawa police revealed Thursday.

Camille Cleroux was charged in early June and remanded into custody as police continued their investigation. They are now accusing him of being a serial killer.

During the probe, police learned two past spouses of Cleroux's suddenly disappeared. Lise Roy, 27 vanished in 1990 and Jean Rock, 32, disappeared in 2003.

Neither woman was reported missing, as family members told police they believed the women had moved away and cut off all contact voluntarily.

'Very day-to-day people'

Roy and Rock have not been tracked down since their disappearances and police believe they are dead since they could find no record of their movements.

The women lived at a number of addresses over the years in the Ottawa area, said Ottawa Police Staff Sgt. Randy Wisker, and also had a scattered work history. Only one of them, Roy, had a legalized marriage to Cleroux. Wisker described them as "very day-to-day people."

Cleroux is now charged with first-degree murder in relation to both of their deaths, and was arrested Wednesday while still at the Ottawa Carleton Regional Detention Centre.

"It's early days as far as this is concerned," Wisker added, urging the public to come forward with any information about Cleroux, his history and any of his past connections.

"We've accumulated what we have to substantiate the charges we've laid, but certainly, to be diligent, we have a man that's charged with three homicides. We're keeping an open mind."

Lottery tale sparked suspicion

The probe began on May 29. Neighbours told CTV Ottawa that a man, who lived in Leclair's building on Fairlea Crescent in south Ottawa, took over her unit shortly after she disappeared.

The man is said to have told neighbours that Leclair, 64, won $50,000 in the lottery and left for Disney World, letting the man move into her apartment.

"He told me that he bought her a ticket and she won $50,000 and he was mad because she was only going to give him $100 out of it. The next thing I know is he's moving out of his apartment and thrown all of her stuff away," neighbour Laurel Stewart told CTV Ottawa at the time.

Police said Leclair never won the lottery.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Kimothy Walker