Saskatchewan RCMP locate vehicle believed to be used by mass stabbing suspect

Saskatchewan RCMP say officers have located a vehicle they believe was used by a suspect in a deadly mass stabbing.

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore says in a video statement that the abandoned black Nissan Rogue was found Friday morning by officers during a ground search of an area near the hamlet of Crystal Springs, about 130 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

“The vehicle had been driven off a gravel road behind trees and was not visible from the main road,” Blackmore said.

The vehicle matched the one police had included in an emergency alert on Sunday following the rampage that left 10 dead and 18 injured on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby community of Weldon. Two suspects also died.

Sanderson, 32, died Wednesday following a four-day manhunt. Officers flooded the area around Crystal Springs and the town of Wakaw after there were reports a truck had been stolen by a man with a knife.

Police chased after the truck and it went into a ditch. RCMP said Sanderson was taken into custody, but a short time later he went into medical distress and was pronounced dead at hospital.

Sanderson and the other suspect, his 31-year-old brother, Damien Sanderson, were both wanted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and break-and-enter. Damien Sanderson was found dead near one of the 18 crime scenes on Monday. RCMP have said Myles Sanderson was also being investigated in the death of his brother.

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Blackmore said a person who thought they saw Myles Sanderson walking on a grid road in the rural area around Crystal Springs on Sunday evening called to report it to police on Thursday.

Given the timing and description of the man, Blackmore said, police began searching the area by ground and air for any indication Sanderson had been there.

“We never know when a seemingly insignificant tip may lead us to crucial evidence,” she said.

She encouraged other residents in the area to report any suspicious activity on their properties to help RCMP build a timeline.

Police are still investigating what happened during the attacks and after, she said.

“This is and continues to be one of the most complex investigations and urgent public safety incidents in Saskatchewan’s history, and it continues to be an ongoing criminal investigation,” Blackmore said.

She earlier said that because both suspects are dead, the motive behind the slayings may never be known.

The Saskatoon Police Service has said it will investigate the in-custody death of Myles Sanderson. The Serious Incident Response Team, a civilian-led provincial group, will also investigate.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority said, as of Friday afternoon, eight of the injured victims remained in hospital in stable condition.