Sask. RCMP were called to a record number of homicides in 2024, including the killing of three men in Lloydminster in Sept. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Susan McNeil

Record homicides

Sask. RCMP report record homicides in 2024

Jan 28, 2025 | 10:38 AM

A record number of homicides were reported to Saskatchewan RCMP in 2024, over half in northern Saskatchewan and many of the people charged were on release conditions.

Numbers released on January 28 show that the provincial force investigated 38 homicide cases with 40 victims, an increase of 27 per cent from 2023. The increase is straining RCMP resources and taking a toll on officers.

“We want to provide answers to victim’s families and the reality is, we only have so many specially-trained investigators. We can’t dedicate the time we need to complex, unsolved investigations when faced with deployments to so many new ones,” said Superintendent Josh Graham, Officer in Charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes.

“When you consider just 10 years ago – in 2014 – we investigated homicides where there were eight victims in total and in 2024 there were 40 victims in total – there is a marked increase in violence and, sadly, more families losing their loved ones.”

A news release from F Division shows that 22 of the cases were in the North District and homicides have been trending upwards overall. An exception was in 2022 there were 43 victims in 33 incidents, including the death of 17 people in the mass casualty incident at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, near Melfort.

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• 2020: 30 homicide files with 31 victims
• 2021: 31 homicide files with 35 victims
• 2022: 33 homicide files with 43 victims (including all victims of the mass casualty)
• 2023: 30 homicide files with 30 victims
• 2024: 38 homicide files with 40 victims
• 2025 to January 27: 2 homicide files with 2 victims

RCMP point to the issue of ‘cluster’ homicides as an increased threat.

In 2024, there were four instances where Major Crimes investigators attended three or more killings within a seven-day period. Those were spread throughout the year and were not related to each other. Between February 1 – 5, five separate homicides were reported.

“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,” said Graham.

“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.”

According to 2023 data from Statistics Canada, there were 778 homicides in Canada, which means a national homicide rate of 1.94 per 100,000 people.

Saskatchewan’s rate in 2024 was 7.2 victims/100,000 people and in the north, that number was 14.8 victims/100,000.

Following intensive investigations, charges were laid against 36 people (25 male and 11 females).

The only municipal police force in northern Saskatchewan is the Prince Albert Police, which reported five homicides in 2024, the same number as 2023.

RCMP Major Crimes also investigated two homicide files that occurred in File Hills Police Service jurisdiction in 2024 and continued investigations into at least 28 unsolved homicide or suspicious death files from previous years.

Nearly half charged in 2024 homicide files were on court-ordered conditions at time of offence.

The RCMP data shows 45 per cent of people charged with homicide were on court-ordered conditions or supervision at the time of the offence and two had outstanding warrants.

Excluded are the six accused who were in custody for one homicide which happened at the Sask. Penitentiary in Prince Albert.

The number of accused on conditions was the same as previous years.

Policing is only one part of the solution and the provincial RCMP said they will keep working with partners to find more resources to address the root causes of crime.

Homicide charges include first and second degree murder and manslaughter.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

On BlueSky: @susanmcneil.bsky.social