RCMP probe finds one suspect killed all 11 victims

Police say Damien Sanderson was killed by brother Myles, but may have helped plan attack

RCMP say an investigation shows a suspect in a mass slaying in Saskatchewan killed all 11 people on his own, including his brother.

Myles and Damien Sanderson had been named as the two suspects in the rampage on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the village of Weldon on Sept. 4. Eighteen others were injured. Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said Thursday there is evidence Damien Sanderson was involved in planning and preparation of the attacks, although the extent of that involvement is still being investigated.

She said, however, there is no evidence he killed anyone. And the investigation shows he was killed by his brother.

“Myles Sanderson committed all of the homicides alone,” Blackmore said. “The Saskatchewan RCMP believes it is important to clarify Damien’s involvement.

“Our investigators continue to corroborate witness statements with physical evidence and exhibits to create an accurate picture of the motives behind these crimes and why some of the victims were targeted.”

She said it will probably take months for investigators to compile a full timeline of what happened.

“The reality is we may never really know exactly why,” Blackmore said.

RCMP had issued arrest warrants for both brothers and were searching for them across the province. The next day, police said they had found Damien Sanderson’s body in a grassy area on the First Nation near one of the crime scenes.

On Sept. 7, RCMP chased and stopped Myles Sanderson in a stolen vehicle near Rosthern, Sask. A short time later, he went into medical distress and died.

Among the injured was Joyce Burns, the former mother-in-law of Myles Sanderson. Her husband, Earl, was one of the 11 killed in the attack. After being placed on life support, she surprised her family after waking up in late September. She is the only one of those injured who remains in hospital, health officials said.

Court documents show that in 2015, Myles Sanderson repeatedly stabbed Earl Burns with a knife and wounded Joyce Burns. He was sentenced to two years less a day in jail.