North Battleford Provincial Court. (File photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

‘I tried finding forgiveness’: Brother speaks as Sweetgrass man accused of killing sibling has hearing set for 2026

Jul 31, 2025 | 11:55 AM

“He was the only brother I’ve ever loved and now he’s not here,” said Clark Whitecalf, describing the pain of losing his brother Garnet Whitecalf, who was killed near Cut Knife in May.

The alleged murderer and Garnet’s first cousin, John Whitecalf, appeared by phone in North Battleford provincial court on Thursday while in custody. Both men are from Sweetgrass First Nation.

His lawyer, Jonathan Bodvarson, elected for a trial by judge and jury. The court scheduled a preliminary inquiry for Feb. 19 to 21,  2026. The hearing is a step in serious criminal cases where the Crown presents evidence for a judge to decide if there’s enough to send the case to trial.

RCMP said officers were called to a field off Highway 40 around 2 a.m. on May 31 after reports of a serious assault. Garnet, 52, was found injured and pronounced dead at the scene. John was later charged with first‑degree murder.

Clark said the weeks since his brother’s death have been “a roller coaster,” with some days feeling manageable and others filled with tears.

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He remembered Garnet as his protector — “my savior” — while he was living a troubled life and spending time in and out of jail.

“He always looked out for me,” Clark said. “He always had a good head on his shoulders… say the good die young and I don’t know if I want to believe that.”

Clark said he believes the killing was pre-meditated and noted that John has long‑standing mental health issues.

“He even came out one time and told me he worshiped Satan and he has tattoos on his body to prove it,” he said. “He had a choice and his choice was to kill my brother bottom line.”

Knowing how things could have happened, and that it could have been avoided, has made forgiveness almost impossible.

“I tried finding forgiveness in my heart. I can’t right now,” he said. “It’s fresh. It’s the childhood memories that kill me, that hurt me.”

Clark said he has been meeting with a grief and loss support team in his home community of Sweetgrass First Nation. He said the support “has been helping a bit,” even though “it’s not gonna bring my brother back.”

At the end of it, he hopes justice will be served.

“He crossed a line where he can’t cross back … and I hope he meets his maker when he passes on.”

The Crown prosecutor on the case is Jennifer Schmidt.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com