'You want him, not me': Final messages between Sask. Mountie and his wife read in murder trial

On Wednesday, an expert witness walked the court through messages suggesting a love triangle between a former Saskatchewan Mountie, his wife, and the man he’s accused of killing.

Bernie Herman, a long time member of the RCMP, is on trial in Prince Albert for first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Braden Herman. The two are not related.

Braden’s body was found completely naked on the outskirts of Prince Albert in May 2021.

Constable Riley Rabott with the Calgary Police Service examined five phones for information related to Herman, his wife Janice Herman, and Braden.

Rabott testified a phone that may have belonged to Herman made 43 outgoing calls to Braden on the day he died. Herman and his wife had an argument that evening, court heard.

Rabott read those messages aloud.

He said Herman messaged his wife that Braden was telling her lies about infidelity.

“He’s gone too far and I’ve had enough,” Herman’s message read.

He then messaged her — “I just shot and killed him, and I won’t be around for it.”

Rabott said three weeks before Braden died, Herman messaged coworkers saying he was having marital problems and needed time off.

On Tuesday, Herman’s wife told court Braden moved into their basement and Herman would sometimes sleep with him.

“While you were having the time of your life in our basement, I was upstairs crying for you,” Rabott says Janice messaged to Herman.

Court heard Janice was frustrated with her husband.

“You ignore your wife, but you never ignore him,” her message read.

Court heard she told him to “cut ties” with Braden.

“You want him, not me.”

In a message from October 2020, Bernie and his wife discussed Braden over the phone.

“I hope someone tracks him down and teaches him a lesson,” Herman’s message read.

Images found on Herman’s phone showed sexually explicit messages from Braden.

The messages also said “my love” and “I can’t wait to kiss you.”

On Monday, the Crown opened its case by calling Herman’s partner, RCMP Const. Richard Wittal, to the stand.

In his testimony, Wittal recounted how Herman would sometimes meet with Braden in the Prince Albert RCMP detachment parking lot.

He said Herman would sometimes move his truck behind the station.

“He was scared of Braden seeing him,” Wittal said.

Braden was fatally shot with an RCMP-issued gun, according to an agreed-upon statement of facts.

On Monday, court heard Herman was wearing his uniform, vest and duty belt when he was arrested shortly after Braden's death.

The Crown is expecting to close its case Thursday Morning.