In a news release, the Mounties stated they investigated 38 homicide cases last year.
According to the Saskatchewan RCMP, 2024 was the worst year on record for the number of separate homicide files that occurred within its jurisdiction.
The RCMP investigated 38 homicide files last year, which included 40 victims. That represents 27 per cent more homicide files and 33 per cent more homicide victims in 2024 than the year prior, said a news release from the Mounties on Tuesday.
Advertisement 2
Article content
The overall number of 2024 victims ranks second-highest on record, according to the release. In 2022, Major Crimes investigated 33 homicide files with 43 victims, including all of the victims from the mass casualty incident that occurred on and near James Smith Cree Nation.
The RCMP said there were four instances in 2024 where Major Crimes investigators were called to three or more homicide investigations within a seven-day period.
“These clusters especially put significant pressures on frontline RCMP detachments and investigative resources as multiple, specially-trained teams are required to deploy immediately to these calls for service,” Superintendent Josh Graham, the officer in charge of the Major Crimes Unit, said in a prepared statement.
“Concern for the wellness of our investigators and having the capacity to continue investigating unsolved files — including both recent and historical ones — is significant when our deployment numbers are high.”
The RCMP release also noted that 36 people were charged in relation to 2024 homicide investigations.
Advertisement 3
Article content
“Of those charged, 25 were male and 11 were female,” it states.
In the release, Graham says the Mounties wish to provide answers to the families of victims, but the force only has so many specially-trained investigators.
The release goes on to state that, of those who were charged with homicide by the Saskatchewan RCMP in 2024, 45 per cent were subject to “court-ordered conditions or supervision” at the time of the offence and two were wanted on outstanding warrants. Those numbers do not include six accused who were in custody at the Saskatchewan penitentiary where one homicide occurred.
“This is similar to RCMP data released last year,” the release concludes. “From 2019 to 2023, 44% of people charged with homicide were on conditions, bail, parole, or probation at the time the homicide was committed.”
Recommended from Editorial
2024 marks five-year low in number of Regina homicides
Narrowly avoiding record total, Saskatoon records 15 homicides in 2024
The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.
With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content
Share
