Family identifies remains found in car, raises reward money

May 15, 2018 | 4:00 PM

RCMP remain tight lipped about the human remains found last week inside a burnt out car on the Ahtahkakoop First Nation, while a Saskatchewan family has started a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes of finding those people responsible for the man’s death.

Lisa Johnstone said she is positive it was her son’s remains inside the car. Brennan Ahenakew, 20, was reported missing earlier that day and Johnstone recently received word through family his car was found in a patch of trees, just off the road. Despite a thick line of yellow police tape, Johnstone said she ran to the car.

“I ran up to the window and I could see my baby’s bones… I could [see] his pelvis and everything else above was black…it was black….all of it,” she said through tears.

Johnstone said she saw her son the night before his disappearance, when he left the house and told her he was going to the gravel pits to hang out with his friends.

Johnstone said she started the GoFundMe with hopes of getting more information on the case. As of Tuesday afternoon, the campaign was sitting at $2,000.

“It’s meant to be reward money to get someone to talk… just somebody that was there,” she said.

Johnstone said her son was a good kid and was not involved in gangs or drugs. Ahenakew turned 20 last month, was a high school graduate, and was working as a carpenter with his father.

“His work boots are sitting on my shrine on my table in my kitchen with his reward he got from Grade 10,” she said. “He was good like his dad.”

RCMP have not released the identity of the remains. An autopsy was scheduled to take place this week in Saskatoon.

Media Relations Officer Cpl. Rob King said investigators need to be 100 per cent positive before confirming the identity which he added may require dental records or DNA testing.

 

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell