'Brutal, cruel, and frankly inhumane': Sask. RCMP describe the sprawling investigation of Tiki Laverdiere's murder
The last of 10 people convicted in the brutal killing of a 25-year-old Edmonton woman was sentenced on Friday, closing a chapter on one of the largest homicide investigations for the Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Investigations unit.
The case dates back to April 27, 2019, when Tiki Laverdiere, 25, went to Thunderchild First Nation, a community an hour away from North Battleford, to attend her friend Tristen Cook-Buckle’s funeral.
She was last seen and heard from two days later.
Superintendent Joshua Graham, head of the Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes Investigation unit, said it initially started as a missing person case, but police shifted to a homicide investigation about a month later.
In July 2019, Laverdiere’s remains were found in a rural area near North Battleford.
“The offence was quite brutal, cruel, and frankly inhumane, so it was something the investigators were very motivated to get to,” Graham told CTV News.
He said it was one of the largest homicide investigations in the province. He noted the largest one was the mass killings in James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon in 2022.
Graham said the case took about four months of active investigation and 10 people were charged in connection to Laverdiere’s death.
He said the case had nine crime scenes, and involved the drug trade and gang activity, adding challenges to the investigation.
“It’s like following a trail of clues, essentially, one crime scene to the next and eventually putting that information altogether, as well as important key interviews with witnesses,” he said.
He said the mother of two knew her killers.
“The main coordinator of the murder was a high-ranking female member of a street gang, and she was friends with her,” he said.
Graham said the killers believed Laverdiere had information or was responsible for Cook-Buckle’s death. The 20-year-old is a victim in an active murder investigation by the Edmonton Police Service.
“They basically took her captive, kidnapped her, and moved her to three different houses, and tortured her until they got what they thought was some form of a confession, which really was not found full in truth,” he said.
Nearly five years after her murder, all 10 people have been convicted, with the final person being sentenced last Friday.
“For families, it’s not only closure, but a sense of justice, and trying to get some resolution to a difficult situation,” Graham said.
He said he’s thankful for the investigator’s tireless efforts to solve this case.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From AI running wild to collapsing ecosystems, government report outlines future disruptions
From collapsing ecosystems to artificial intelligence running wild, a new Canadian government report outlines 35 disruptions that could rattle the country in the coming years.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Police in Ontario say suspects charged in armed home invasion near Toronto part of 'larger criminal network'
Police in Ontario say a group of suspects charged in an armed home invasion north of Toronto last year were driving a vehicle stolen in a carjacking in Calgary just one month earlier.
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.