Matthew Hamm went out fishing Sept. 23, 2020 and didn't return. (Submitted photo/James Hamm)

By Nigel Maxwell

Unanswered questions

Sask. family question findings of RCMP investigation

Aug 30, 2024 | 12:00 PM

Noting a number of burning questions that have gone unanswered, James Hamm does not believe his son’s death was an accident.

Matthew Hamm, 18, who had been out boating at Weyakwin Lake, was first reported missing in September of 2020. Following several unsuccessful search attempts, the body was found the following spring, not far from where the boat was located. James found this strange, given the fact this was the same area they had searched the most and there’s nothing at bottom of the lake,

“It’s pretty much flat and clean with pretty much nothing,” he said, adding when the area was checked by sonar there was no body.

As the owner of the Ramsey Bay Campground, Matthew Hamm often went fishing after work and was experienced in operating a boat.

The autopsy by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service indicated Matthew’s death was non-suspicious in nature, but James, who has also seen the report is asking how this can be, given the fact there was no water in his son’s lungs or stomach. And given the temperature shift of the water between the fall and spring, he also wonders how it’s possible the body was able to float to the top.

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More questions arise from the fact Matthew’s phone was never found, and people close to Matthew say he always had it in his pocket while wearing his ear buds. In May 2021, when Matthew was found, he was wearing the ear buds.

And the night he went missing, more than three hours after his empty boat was spotted doing circles in the lake, Matthew’s phone was pinged by police. SaskTel had reported the phone was powered off and out of cell service after 6:22p.m.

“How can his phone be working later like that. I’ve tried and those phones don’t work under water,” James stated. “It shows that phone was actually working later than when Sask Tel said it was and it should not have been possible.”

Matthew Hamm’s family initiated offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his safe return. (Submitted photo/James Hamm)

The last text message received on Matt’s phone was at 9:59 p.m., which was from Matt’s girlfriend and there was nothing to suggest anything suspicious. However a production order to get the phone records was still sent to SaskTel by the investigator.

“SaskTel actually tells him there is text messaging information for Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 that could be of interest to the investigation,” James said.

On April 28, 2021, a further warrant was issued to Sask Tel to retrieve the cell phone information, but the family has not seen the results.

“They won’t give us that information,” James said.

After Hamm went missing, a large-scale search was launched to find him involving the Canadian Rangers, Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, conservation officers, RCMP and more. Matthew’s body was eventually found by a team with Lloydminster Rescue Squad.

In addition to questions about sonar did not find his son, James also has questions as to why it took so long for RCMP to respond and why the initial call from witnesses around 7:30 p.m., who were passing by on a pontoon boat, was sent to a member’s cell phone at Montreal Lake and not 9-1-1, and was not followed up on.

And while the autopsy photos did not reveal any significant signs of trauma, there was some unknown dark discolouring at the back of Matthew’s neck that was explained as lividity. No further pictures of the neck area were taken.

In an attempt to get more information about the case, the family is offering a $25,000 reward, which James acknowledged is a long shot.

“Everywhere you look, you don’t find nothing that’s normal for it to be accidental,” he said. “So maybe there’s a chance somebody has heard something.”

paNOW reached out again this week to RCMP and received a statement.

They advised the autopsy by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service indicated that Matthew Hamm’s death was non-suspicious in nature.

“As such, Saskatchewan RCMP is not investigating it and thus, have no further information we can provide.”

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell