Homicide victim’s aunt remembers Jessica Cameron as loving mother

A man charged with the murder of his girlfriend made his first court appearance in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Monday morning.

Jamie Smallchild, 25, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Jessica Cameron on Saturday.

Many of Cameron’s family members sat in the gallery for the brief court appearance. Cameron’s aunt, Berni Thomas, said that she will remember the woman as a loving mother.

“I’m still in shock and still in disbelief … To be in a position like this, we are here today as a family to show support,” she said. “It’s overwhelming, all the love and messages we get. She’s going to be missed. My heart aches for her children.”

Cameron, a mother of seven children, leaves a lasting impression on Thomas.

“She was small, and always (had) a smile. I’ve never seen her get mad once — never,” Thomas said.

Thomas said it was important for the family to be visible in court on Monday. She mentioned how close the community is, and that she is also related to Smallchild.

“I wanted Jamie (Smallchild) to see we’re here for her. We’re her voice now,” she said. “It’s just the beginning for us in a long journey to heal. We’re a community, we all have family … so this is hard.”

In a previous release issued Saturday, the RCMP provided some detail on the arrest.

The Rosthern RCMP responded to a complaint of a damaged vehicle resting in a wooded area near Beardy’s and Okemasis’ Cree Nation, about 16 kilometres north of Rosthern and around 90 kilometres north of Saskatoon, on Saturday around 6 a.m.

Smallchild was in the driver’s seat of the vehicle with minor injuries. Cameron, who was in the passenger seat, was declared dead at the scene.

Police soon noticed “inconsistencies” between the damage sustained to the green minivan and to the pair inside the vehicle, a release said.

Smallchild is scheduled to next appear in court on July 23. An autopsy is to be conducted on Cameron later this week.