UPDATE: First-degree murder charge laid in Saskatoon homicide: police
Saskatoon police are calling the death of a man over the long weekend a homicide.
Officers were called to an apartment complex in the 2200-block of St. Charles Avenue to check on the welfare of a person at roughly 1:20 p.m. on Aug. 3.
Richard Fernuk, 68, was found dead inside his apartment.
An autopsy was completed on Aug. 6, and the death has been determined to be a homicide, police said. His cause of death was not released.
Major crimes section investigators determined that after visiting friends on the evening of Aug. 1, Fernuk was suffering from chest pains relating to a pre-existing heart condition.
He called 911 and was taken to St. Paul’s Hospital by ambulance at roughly 11 p.m. Following treatment, police said Fernuk requested to be voluntarily discharged.
Fernuk left the hospital at 3:46 a.m. on Aug. 2 wearing a sleeveless Saskatchewan Roughriders shirt, jean shorts, sandals, and a black baseball cap with the embroidered letters “RF” on the front.
He was also wearing a St. Paul’s Hospital wristband on his right wrist and was holding a stainless steel coffee mug.
Anyone who had contact with Fernuk between 3:46 a.m. on Aug. 2 and the afternoon on Aug. 3 is being asked to contact Saskatoon police at 306-975-8300.
WATCH (July 23, 2019): Breaking down Saskatoon’s crime severity index