REGINA — A Regina man initially charged with first-degree murder in the death of Aron Lunan has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
A preliminary hearing for Patrick Akapew was scheduled to start in Regina Provincial Court on June 1. Instead, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 3,515 days in prison, or 9.6 years. With 500 days credit for time served while on remand, Akapew has just over eight years remaining.
Akapew was also given a lifetime firearms prohibition and ordered to provide his DNA to the National DNA Data Bank.
Earlier this year, Tyler Wayne Edwards, another one of Lunan’s accused killers, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to 3,656 days in prison, just over 10 years. He was also initially charged with first-degree murder.
Britain Volk pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in October 2025 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Kayla Mitton, who is also charged with first-degree murder, is scheduled to return to Regina Provincial Court on Sept. 21 for a preliminary hearing.
Lunan’s body was found in a rural area near Grand Coulee, Sask., on June 10, 2025. Regina Police Service took over the RCMP investigation after it was determined Lunan was killed in Regina.
Lunan had been working with a counsellor in Regina trying to get his life on track before he was killed, according to his father, Allan Lunan, who spoke with SaskToday. Described as a devoted musician and outdoorsman, Aron loved playing guitar and drums, singing, and dirt biking with his father and brother. Allan recalled his son’s steady support, especially during Allan’s battle with COVID-19 in 2021.
