The Saskatchewan inquest into the death of a mass murderer began on Monday in Saskatoon, hearing how RCMP tracked and apprehended a man who killed 11 and injured 17 in a mass stabbing event.
Myles Sanderson kicked in doors and attacked people with a knife on James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon on Sept. 4, 2022.
He evaded police for three days before his capture.
A two-and-a-half-week inquest into his victims’ deaths took place in January in Melfort, Sask.
February’s inquest is intended to explain the RCMP’s three-day manhunt for Sanderson and its pursuit and capture of the killer.
Sanderson collapsed during his arrest and died shortly after.
On Monday, RCMP said civilian phone calls reporting sightings of Sanderson were critical in catching him.
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After killing his last victim in Weldon on Sept. 4, 2022, RCMP said Sanderson drove a stolen black 2016 Nissan Rogue to the Wakaw, Crystal Springs area before crashing it into a bush when it ran out of fuel.
During those three days, more than 660 sightings and tips were reported to RCMP spanning four provinces. Police investigated each location Sanderson was reported to have been seen.
While most of the sightings were false, RCMP believe several sightings in the Crystal Springs area to be Sanderson.
A man and son called RCMP on the evening of the massacre, saying they came across a man lying the ditch near the junction of highways 41 and 20. They said the man asked them for a ride to Saskatoon or Prince Albert, which they refused, and said the man started walking down the road.
Three other complaints were reported to RCMP, most saying they saw a man walking down the side of roads in the Crystal Springs area.
RCMP officers were sent to each complaint, but the man had disappeared and couldn’t be found.
RCMP believe Sanderson walked approximately 10 kilometres before stealing food, beverages and bedding from a nearby garage, making a camp nearby in the bush and hiding there for three days.
On Sept. 7, 2022, Sanderson emerged from his camp, going back to the same garage and stealing a white 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche.
The owner of the house had her mother report a break and enter to the Wakaw RCMP Detachment, claiming the thief was Sanderson.
RCMP Supt. Devin Pugh said the critical incident commander immediately began co-ordinating 48 uniformed officers from seven detachments, two aircraft and one helicopter to locate the white Avalanche.
RCMP said they had several reports of sightings of Sanderson near Yellow Creek and St. Benedict on Highway 20.
Officers started setting up roadblocks at intersections in the areas Sanderson was reportedly sighted. Ferries were also asked to be shut down and officers stationed themselves on bridges.
After stealing the Avalanche, RCMP said Sanderson drove to One Arrow First Nation an hour before his arrest and offered Richard Sanderson, a friend, $250 for a ride to Saskatoon.
Richard said he didn’t have a working vehicle at the time, so Sanderson left in the Avalanche.
The inquest heard a phone call made by Richard, reporting Sanderson leaving the First Nation on a back road, heading toward the river line.
“That’s where you are going to catch him,” Richard told the RCMP.
Pugh said the information was critical to the pursuit.
RCMP Const. Brianna Hathaway caught up to Sanderson on Highway 312, west of Wakaw, following closely behind the Avalanche in her unmarked police vehicle with the lights off.
Marked vehicles joined the chase pursuing Sanderson through ditches before he started speeding south in the northbound lanes of Highway 11 toward Saskatoon.
Dashcam footage from several pursing RCMP vehicles showed Sanderson intentionally swerving the Avalanche, aiming for oncoming traffic parked on the side of the road.
He narrowly missed 41 vehicles, including motorcyclists and semis, making it difficult for RCMP to disable his vehicle without colliding with other travellers.
After a 15-kilometre chase, Sanderson drove through the ditch into the southbound lane on Highway 11, opening up an opportunity for Const. Heidi Marshall to ram into the Avalanche, pit-manoeuvring Sanderson off the west side of the road and into the ditch.
Police approached the vehicle with guns raised, seizing the knife from the inside, yelling at Sanderson dozens of times to put his hands up and exit the vehicle.
Officers ended up pulling Sanderson from the vehicle and tackling him to the ground, placing him under arrest.
Sanderson immediately went into medical distress and response teams began life-saving efforts, RCMP said. He was rushed to Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital, where he died minutes after arrival.
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