A man arrested after RCMP Crisis Negotiators and the RCMP tactical unit were called in to assist the Stanley Mission RCMP, had an appearance in La Ronge Provincial Court Oct. 26.
Kane Lenard Roberts, 26, was charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body in connection to the death of Jamey Leroy Roberts, 45, of Stanley Mission First Nation.
According to Stanley Mission RCMP, they were called at about 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 to conduct a welfare check on Jamey Roberts. Police, along with health workers from the community, went to the home and tried to contact him. Instead, police ended up finding and speaking with Kane Roberts at the residence.
As police were about to enter the home to search for Jamey Roberts, they heard the unmistakable sound of a firearm being loaded so they immediately retreated to a safe location with the health workers.
The RCMP secured the area around the home and called both the Saskatchewan RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Crisis Negotiators. The RCMP ERT are a group of highly trained officers that use specialized weapons, equipment and tactics to resolve extremely high-risk situations. The ERT deals with extreme danger that can’t be easily resolved by general duty RCMP officers. RCMP Crisis Negotiators work as part of the Critical Incident Program, under an incident commander and alongside tactical units. They help diffuse tense and high-stake situations.
At about 5:15 a.m. on Sept. 27, Kane Roberts finally surrendered to the RCMP.
“Effective de-escalation and negotiation with the suspect over a 12-hour period was critical and officers were able to safely take the suspect into custody,” Supt. Ted Munro, Saskatchewan RCMP North District Commander and Incident Commander said in a statement to media.
Jamey Roberts was found deceased inside the residence and police say he was the victim of a homicide. Police also say evidence gathered during their investigation revealed that he was murdered before the RCMP were contacted. Police seized a firearm inside the home.
RCMP Major Crimes North (MCU-North) has taken over the investigation.
A wake service for Jamey Roberts was held Oct. 2 and a funeral service on Oct. 3, both at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stanley Mission.
“It will be a long journey of healing,” one of Jamey’s family members posted on social media. “He was such a protector to all his family.”
Jamey’s family also posted a video tribute of his life and said, “Jamey was a man loved by many.”
Kane Roberts remains in custody and is scheduled to appear next in La Ronge Provincial Court via CCTV on Nov. 30.
Stanley Mission is about 80 kilometres northeast of La Ronge.
