Two charged in connection with death of P.A. woman

Two people are facing charges in connection with the death of a Prince Albert woman whose body was found last week near Maymont.

The RCMP said the suspects were arrested Thursday by the North Battleford RCMP near that city.

North Battleford’s Dustin Cookman-Watts, 25, was charged with one count of second-degree murder. Melissa Kaponyas, an 18-year-old from Biggar, was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact.

The body of 24-year-old Wendy Bird was found Oct. 14 near Highway 16 in the Maymont area. The investigation prompted the Mounties to block lanes of the highway for around six hours.

The RCMP’s Major Crime Unit is investigating Bird’s death with the assistance of the Saskatoon and North Battleford RCMP Forensic Identification Services Unit.

Anyone with information about Bird’s whereabouts from the evening of Oct. 14 through the morning of Oct. 16 or anyone who saw suspicious activity on Highway 16 near Maymont on the evening of Oct. 15 is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers.

Maymont is about 50 kilometres southeast of North Battleford.