Family devastated by death of inmate killed in Sask. Penitentiary brawl

Charges have been laid following an investigation into a recent death of an inmate at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary.

The victim was identified as 29-year-old Rocky Meechance from the Red Pheasant First Nation.

“A lot of people loved Rocky, for sure,” said Meechance’s fiancé, Madison Loutit. “A lot of us didn’t want to believe it was a reality that we’d have to go through.”

Meechance died suddenly on Jan. 29. Hearing the news of his death came as a shock for the family.

“It was a surreal moment … a lot of things (went) through our mind,” said Sheena Ballantyne, who took Meechance as her brother.

“You go from expecting to see and talk to him to having bad news like that. It’s like, it’s not real. It’s heartbreaking.”

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert General Investigative Section responded to a report of a sudden death and a second injured person at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary on Jan. 29, 2024.

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The initial investigation determined an altercation occurred between a group of inmates; a police statement read.

“A male was injured and was later declared deceased by EMS at the scene,” the RCMP stated.

Despite the heartbreak Meechance’s family members are feeling, they want people to know the kind of man he truly was.

“Family is probably the most important thing to him … he was a man who was trying to change his ways,” said Loutit.

Ballantyne describes her brother as a provider for his family who loved going hunting and that he was very family-oriented.

“He loved his family over everything,” said Ballantyne. “He would be the person that would light up the room with his smile … his laugh was so contagious. When he would laugh, you just couldn’t help but laugh. He brought the joy out of everyone.”

As a result of an investigation by Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes, 28-year-old George Custer, 25-year-old Tyrel Munroe, 26-year-old Dominick Cochrane, 26-year-old Jonathan Soosay, 26-year-old Wyatt Crookedneck, and 26-year-old Rene Merasty were each charged with one count of second-degree murder.

“A second adult male inmate was taken to hospital with injuries described as serious in nature,” police stated in a release.

Following an investigation, 34-year-old Conrad Merasty, 23-year-old Ilyas Gilao, and 23-year-old DJ Montgrand have each been charged with one count of attempted murder and one count of aggravated assault.

“The accused’s scheduled court dates are pending, and we will provide an update when they are available,” police stated. “Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes will continue to investigate.”