Bernie Herman pleads not guilty to first-degree murder in Braden Herman’s death

A former Mountie charged with first-degree murder in Prince Albert, Sask., has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Bernie Herman’s lawyer entered the plea in Prince Albert provincial court on Wednesday.

Herman, 53, is charged with the death of Braden Herman, 26. The two are not related.

Braden’s body was found in an isolated area of Little Red River Park on May 11.

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Prince Albert police said it appeared Braden had been shot.

Braden’s half-brother is frustrated with Herman’s decision not to enter a guilty plea and says the family’s grieving process has been delayed.

“If he’s just going to drag it on, I mean, nobody really wants that … Things were just starting to get back to normal. This is just making it that much harder,” Brett Herman told Global News.

Herman was a long-serving RCMP officer at the time of Braden’s death, but was not on duty at the time.

The Saskatchewan RCMP said Herman resigned from the force effective June 1.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the week of Dec. 13.

— with files from The Canadian Press

1:56 Saskatchewan Mountie makes court appearance on first-degree murder charge