Three men charged in Bonin murder case
A nine-month investigation has resulted in murder charges being laid against three men in connection with the death of Michael Bonin.
The body of the 20-year-old Rycroft, Alta., man was discovered April 20, 2017, along a logging road north of Hope.
At the time, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team said the murder appeared targeted, but they weren’t sure whether Bonin died at the scene or if his body was dumped there after he was murdered.
Ryan Watt, 26, Joshua Fleurant, 20, and Jared Jorgenson, 27, were arrested over the weekend and have each been charged with first-degree murder.
They were scheduled to appear in provincial court Monday.
“IHIT investigators worked tirelessly to advance this investigation and the complexity was such that a successful resolution would not have been possible without the support of our many partners,” Integrated Homicide Investigation Team Cpl. Frank Jang said in a release. “We are hopeful that this can now help the family of Mr. Bonin begin their journey towards the healing process.”
On Monday, IHIT released a statement from Michael Bonin’s mother:
“Michael did not deserve to die. He was a loving, helpful and loyal young man who had lots to live for. The pain of losing Michael will never go away and many lives have been changed by this selfish act. I hope those responsible for taking Michael’s life are held accountable. I would like to thank the IHIT investigators for all their dedication and hard work in solving Michael’s murder,” the statement said.