CANADA'S TOP 25 FUGITIVES
Man sought by local police on list
For the first time, a suspect wanted by Regina police has made a list of Canada's 25 most wanted fugitives.
The updated list, which was announced Tuesday morning, now contains two suspects wanted in Saskatchewan.
Daniel (Juma) Drie Atem, wanted for murder by the Regina Police Service (RPS), joins Jonathan Ouellet- Gendron, also wanted for murder by the Saskatoon Police Service (SPS), on the list at spots 14 and 13, respectively.
The reward for information leading to the arrest of some of the 25 suspects could be large — some as large as $100,000 — according to information shared during a splashy news conference held at Toronto Police Service headquarters.
The list and the reward amounts are published by what's known as the BOLO program. BOLO is an acronym for “be on the lookout.”
The website indicates a reward of “up to $50,000” for information about Ouellet- Gendron. However, it does not indicate any reward for information on Atem.
Supt. Trent Stevely of the RPS Investigative Services Division provided further information during a Regina news conference Tuesday afternoon.
The ranking system and reward value is determined by the BOLO assessment committee, he said.
While there is currently no reward for information about Atem, he said the BOLO program has been successful in the past by merely “amplifying” information about a wanted suspect.
However, he said connecting a reward to a suspect is something that is always being assessed by the program.
“In a nutshell, BOLO brings national attention or amplifies the community's desire to locate and apprehend dangerous wanted persons, such as Daniel Atem.”
BOLO program “amplification” includes “billboards, radio hits, TV media scrums, flyers, busstop benches and social media,” he said, noting this assistance comes at no cost to taxpayers or police services.
“The Bolo Program is the main activity of the Stephan Crétier Foundation, so we're picking up the tab!” states the program's website, noting the foundation is a Canadian charitable organization established in 2006.
Stevely touched briefly on why the RPS selected Atem for submission.
“After exhausting most all of the investigative avenues and effort to locate and arrest Atem, we submitted the investigation to the BOLO program for their review and consideration,” he said.
Atem is wanted in a July 29, 2023 homicide that occurred on the 2100 block of Regina's Broad Street.
He was wanted alongside Shedrek Samuel, who turned himself in to B.C. RCMP in February.
Atem is described as six-footthree, roughly 140 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, a dark complexion and thin build.
Ouellet-gendron is charged with first-degree murder in the May 19, 2022 death of Brandon Baxandall, 29, whose body was found behind an apartment building in the 700 block of Saskatoon's Melrose Avenue.
He is described as five-foot-six, weighing around 140 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He is said to have several tattoos, including a Mayan statue on his right hand, a black rose on his left wrist and a gorilla on his upper torso.
Ouellet- Gendron has previously been on the BOLO Top 25 list.