Saskatchewan RCMP set new record in 2024 with 39 homicide files

RCMP officers in Saskatchewan opened 39 homicide files in 2024, setting a new record for the province.

According to the RCMP, last year saw more homicide cases opened than in any previous year in the province, rising by 26 per cent over 2023’s numbers. There were a total of 41 victims involved, the RCMP said, which represents an increase of 32 per cent over the previous year.

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The only year with more homicide victims in Saskatchewan was 2022, when Myles Sanderson killed 11 people in a series of stabbing attacks on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby community of Weldon.

The numbers, released on Friday, include cases of first- and second-degree murder, along with manslaughter. The numbers do not include cases where Mounties assist other police forces with homicide investigations, and the data also excludes suspicious deaths and homicide investigations where the person accused is found to be non-culpible, the RCMP noted.

Of the 39 homicide cases the RCMP fielded in 2024, 29 are considered “solved,” adding up to a clearance rate of 74 per cent, 13 per cent lower than the 87 per cent clearance rate reported in 2023.

Data showing the number of solved and unsolved homicides in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction by year. (Saskatchewan RCMP/Submitted)

“The Saskatchewan RCMP investigates homicides or suspected homicides using all resources, techniques and avenues available to them,” inspector Ashley St. Germaine, a senior officer with the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Major Crimes Branch, said in a statement.

“Those cases that aren’t solved remain open and investigators continue to actively and diligently work on them. In some cases, the passage of time allows police to revisit a file with fresh eyes and apply new investigative techniques or perspectives, which can help uncover new information and further an investigation. We never stop trying to solve these cases because the victims deserve justice and their loved ones deserve answers.”

Homicide rate on pace to drop in 2025

The number of homicide cases fielded by Saskatchewan Mounties is on pace to drop in 2025, according to the data.

Between the start of the year and July 15, Saskatchewan RCMP officers opened 13 homicide files, involving 13 victims.

“This is down from 23 that were reported over the same period last year,” the RCMP said in a statement.

“Four of the 13 homicides that have occurred to date this year remain under investigation and the other nine have been solved.”