REGINA — Following the highest number of homicide files on record in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction in 2024, investigators continued to face a high volume of cases across the province in 2025.
Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Branch investigated 33 manslaughter and murder files with 39 victims in 2025, compared to 41 files with 43 victims in 2024.
Of those files, 31 manslaughter and murder files, with 34 victims, occurred in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction. RCMP teams also investigated two murders, with five victims, in File Hills First Nations Police Service (FHFNPS) jurisdiction.
Over the last five years, Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Branch conducted the following investigations in Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction:
- 2021: 31 homicide files with 36 victims
- 2022: 33 homicide files with 43 victims (including all victims of the mass casualty)
- 2023: 31 homicide files with 31 victims
- 2024: 39 homicide files with 41 victims
- 2025: 31 homicide files with 34 victims
- Jan. 1 to Feb. 4, 2026: one homicide file with one victim
“While 2024 marked the highest number of homicide files we’ve investigated, the volume in 2025 remained elevated,” says Superintendent Josh Graham, officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Branch.
“The work doesn’t stop for our teams, homicide files in our jurisdiction are at a rate that requires significant investigative capacity.”
The Saskatchewan RCMP’s Homicide Investigation Unit (HIU), part of the Major Crimes Branch, is responsible for investigating murders, manslaughters, and homicides within RCMP jurisdiction. HIU investigators also routinely support frontline RCMP officers at detachments by consulting on sudden or suspicious death investigations. These investigations are not just statistics, each one represents a loss felt in the community.
“Behind every homicide statistic is a person who has been taken from their loved ones, and a family living through an unimaginable loss,” says Supt. Graham.
“Our investigators are always mindful that their job is to uncover the truth, give a voice to victims, provide answers to families. The cases we take on aren’t easy; they stay with our officers, but our teams remain committed to investigating with professionalism and compassion.”
Of the victims in files investigated by the Saskatchewan RCMP in 2025:
- three were children aged 12 and under,
- three were teenagers between the ages of 13 and 19,
- 12 were young people in their 20s,
- 10 were in their 30s,
- six were in their 40s,
- four were in their 50s,
- and one person was in their 60s.
The HIU investigators, operating out of Regina and Saskatoon, provide a 24/7 response to homicides and suspicious deaths across Saskatchewan. / Image courtesy Saskatchewan RCMP Homicide Investigation Unit
Five victims (13 per cent) were in Saskatchewan RCMP’s South District, 11 victims were in Central District, and 18 were in North District. There were also five victims (13 per cent) reported in FHFNPS jurisdiction.
In addition to investigating the homicides that occurred in 2025, investigators continued work on at least 30 unsolved homicide or suspicious death files from previous years.
28 charged in relation to 2025 homicide investigations
Through perseverance and dedication, investigators continued to bring complex cases to charge, according to HIU. The HIU laid charges against 28 individuals in relation to 2025’s homicide investigations. Teams laid seven first-degree murder charges, 17 second-degree murder charges and four manslaughter charges. Of the 28 individuals charged:
- 25 are male (89 per cent) and three are female (11 per cent),
- eight were youth between the ages of 13 and 19 (30 per cent),
- nine were in their 20s (33 per cent),
- two were in their 30s,
- five were in their 40s,
- two were in their 50s,
- and two were in their 60s.
Investigators solved 23 of 2025’s 33 homicide files, with 10 remaining under investigation. Of the cases that were brought to charge:
- 12 were solved within 24 hours,
- six were solved within one week,
- three were solved within one month,
- and two were solved in less than six months.
Operational insights
Homicide, murder and manslaughter investigations require quick co-ordination and extensive teamwork, with urgent files requiring an immediate response and often a sustained investigative effort, HIU explains.
In 2025, several incidents underscored the unpredictable nature of these investigations and the significant caseload managed by Saskatchewan RCMP investigators:
- Two manslaughter/murder files occurred on the same day in separate communities on three different occasions.
- There were 11 manslaughter/murder files with 14 victims in the last two months of 2025. These included single, double and triple homicides.
- Three of these files, with five victims, occurred over the course of approximately 27 hours in November.
“In a calendar year, our investigators responded to single, double and triple homicides, and a quadruple murder scene. This shows just how unpredictable and complex our work is,” says Supt. Graham.
“Periods of intense investigative activity test every part of our system. Our teams’ demands escalate immediately. In November, our HIU leaned on the Serious Crimes Unit, another experienced unit in the Major Crimes Branch, to assist with an investigation. Despite the pressures, our teams remain focused on the important role these investigations play in public safety and ensuring every victim and family receives the thorough investigation they deserve.”
The HIU investigators, operating out of Regina and Saskatoon, provide a 24/7 response to homicides and suspicious deaths across Saskatchewan. Their work spanned the entire province in 2025, from Weyburn to Wollaston Lake and from Pelican Narrows to Swift Current. Investigators deployed to more than 30 communities for 2025 homicides. Because these investigations involve significant and sometimes lengthy travel, investigators work closely with frontline detachment officers to ensure co-ordinated and timely responses.
Teams can be on the road or in the sky at all hours, with some calls requiring them to reach remote northern communities by plane, such as Wollaston Lake, a community more than 800 kilometres from Saskatoon.
“Behind every file are broad and evolving challenges that our investigators navigate every day. Much of this complex work happens out of view from the public,” says Supt. Graham.
“We know the demands won’t stop in 2026. As we continue investigating unsolved files and managing any new cases, we’ll remain focused and committed to serving communities across Saskatchewan.”
