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A double homicide on Christmas Eve of 2021 in North Battleford has led to two first-degree murder charges more than a year after the fact.
On that day, firefighters in North Battleford responded to a house fire on 108th Street just before 4 p.m. The bodies of two women were recovered after the fire; they were identified as 25-year-old Allysa LeCaine from North Battleford and 20-year-old Daphne Bear from the Sweetgrass First Nation.
“On December 24, 2021, most people were getting ready to begin holiday celebrations. However, that’s when an absolutely senseless tragedy struck for the friends and family of Alyssa and Daphne, and for the Battlefords community at large,” Supt. Josh Graham, head of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes, said in a statement.
The RCMP quickly announced the deaths were being investigated as homicides. Autopsies were conducted by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, but the cause of death was not released by police.
Four months later, the RCMP released a video showing a person running through an alley around the time of the fire.
On Wednesday, the RCMP said 31-year-old Wade Frenchman of the Moosomin First Nation had been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Bear and LeCaine.
Frenchman was arrested at the Saskatchewan Provincial Correctional Centre, and is set to appear in a North Battleford courtroom later this month.
This is not the first time Frenchman has faced serious charges. In June, he was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 35-year-old Tyler Mooswa on the Moosomin First Nation. That case remains before the courts.
“Our thoughts continue to be with these young women’s loved ones as we announce these charges today. It’s our hope that it will help provide some closure as they continue their grieving and healing processes,” Graham added.
The RCMP said about 160 witnesses were interviewed, and about 15 warrants were obtained during the course of the investigation.
“This was a complex investigation, one that took time to complete,” Graham noted. “I’m grateful to our dedicated Major Crimes investigators, and our many partners, who conducted a thorough investigation that allowed us to support these first-degree murder charges.”
