SASKATOON — A preliminary hearing for Jonathan Ouellet-Gendron wrapped up on Thursday in Saskatoon Provincial Court with Ouellet-Gendron being committed to stand trial in Court of King’s Bench.
The evidence presented during the hearing is under a publication ban. This is to ensure he gets a fair trial, particularly if there is a jury trial, as the evidence is untested in court and potentially prejudicial.
Ouellet-Gendron was charged with first-degree murder for the May 2022 shooting death of Brandon Baxandall in Saskatoon.
Court documents reveal that at the time of Baxandall's murder, Ouellet-Gendron was out on bail for charges of illegally having a .45 handgun obtained through crime, possessing four forged driver’s licenses, and trafficking cocaine.
In May 2022, Saskatoon police charged Ouellet-Gendron with first-degree murder and released his photo to the public asking for help locating him.
The following year, Ouellet-Gendron was added to the BOLO Program’s list of Canada’s top 25 most wanted fugitives, ranking 10th.
Ouellet-Gendron was arrested in September 2025 at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport while attempting to re-enter Canada from Mexico, nearly three years after Saskatoon police started searching for him.
Ouellet-Gendron's co-accused, Mohamed Abdula Ali, was arrested by Saskatoon police but released on bail in December 2022 after a hearing in Court of King's Bench. He was sentenced in August 2024 to six years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. He was initially charged with first-degree murder.
