RCMP have charged a man with murder in the disappearance of another man in southern Saskatchewan.
Robert Arams, 74, is charged with first-degree murder after Claude Landry, 48, was reported missing to Gravelbourg RCMP on July 13.
A second man, David Earl Prentice, was arrested and charged by RCMP on July 23. The the 42-year-old Lafleche, Sask. man is charged with indignity to a body. He made his first court appearance in Regina Tuesday morning.
Landry, who was from Kincaid, was last seen in Gravelbourg the previous day. Landry’s partner, Marie Moldovan, told Global News Landry was following up on a tip about his missing dog when he disappeared.
Police called his disappearance suspicious.
Arams, who is from Gravelbourg, was arrested over the weekend. He is also charged with offering an indignity to a body.
He appeared in Regina provincial court Monday morning. Arams’ attorney said that since the charges are based in Gravelbourg, this case should be heard in Moose Jaw provincial court. The judge agreed, and the case has been adjourned until Tuesday, July 24 at 9:30 a.m. Arams was transferred to Moose Jaw, where he will be held in custody.
Arams briefly appeared in Moose Jaw provincial court Tuesday morning. The case was adjourned until August 7, and he remains in remand.
Arams was charged last year with possession of crack cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Those charges were stayed in Moose Jaw’s Court of Queen’s Bench on June 8, 2018. Global News has reached out to the Crown prosecutor for an explanation of the stay.
Molodvan said that Landry was an “extremely generous and kindhearted person”.
“He had struggles in his life, and he knows what it’s like to live in all walks of life. He was homeless at one point. He had been in in crime in the past. He turned his life around, he has post-traumatic stress disorder,” Moldovan said.
“So he was in a position where he had a lot of life experiences that he could share with others.”
Moldovan said some of instances of Landry helping people included taking in a young couple that had been evicted until they could get back on their feet. He would also try and help troubled youth get onto the right track.
“He showed them trades because Claude was a carpenter, so he taught them. He gave them his knowledge so that they would have something to use to stand on their feet and go forward in life,” she said.
“He was just amazing, you know. I was so proud of him and I just can’t imagine why anybody would do anything like that to him.”
Moldovan said she and Landry knew Arams in the way that everyone knows everyone else in a small community. Kincaid is about 50 kilometres southwest of Gravelbourg.
Police have released no other details as they continue to investigate.
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