One man is in custody and charges are expected to be laid within 24 hours in relation to a triple homicide in Prince Albert earlier this week.
Prince Albert Police Chief Jon Bergen gave an update into the investigation Tuesday. He said one man had been arrested earlier Tuesday afternoon. There are no other suspects.
The suspect is known to the family, thought the police will not be releasing his name, age or details of that relationship at this time.
More details will be released once charges are laid.
Police also released the names of the victims Tuesday. They were Denis Carrier and Sanda Henry, both 56, and Bentlee, 7. Kendrah, 5, is recovering in an Edmonton hospital. Her condition has been upgraded to serious but stable. Carrier and Henry were the children’s grandparents.
At the request of the family, police did not release the last names of the child victims.
Police were called to a residence int he 300 Block of MacArthur Drive Sunday evening at about 4 p.m. The residents were unaccounted for, so someone checked up on them and then called police. The police service sent out a press release about a major incident Sunday evening, confirming Monday that the incident was a triple homicide.
Forensic and criminal investigators continue to investigate at the scene. Autopsies are set to be completed later this week.
A gofundme for the children’s mother surpassed $10,000 in donations from 167 donors by Tuesday evening.
The fundraiser, which will cover travel and funeral expenses as well as food for the family’s two-year-old son Alex, was organized by the kids’ aunt.
“On March 29 Heather received the most difficult news of her life,” the gofundme reads.
It describes Bentlee as “brave” from the moment he was born prematurely, weighing only 3 lbs.
“Kendrah had three surgeries, but like her brother is determined and she is brave,” the post reads.
It thanks medical teams in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Edmonton for working to save Kendrah’s life.
“As a community, I wish to ask you to help if you can.”
Family members, when contacted by media outlets, referred them to the gofundme page for comment.
Bergen, Tuesday, offered condolences.
“I offer my sincere condolences to the family and friends who’ve lost loved ones to this horrific crime,” Bergen said.
“As a police service, we continue to investigate what happened while also working to make sense of something that is absolutely tragic. We cannot imagine how extremely difficult this tragedy will be to heal from and to process.”
Bergen said more details will be released later this week.
“We appreciate your patience as we continue to investigate what is a very difficult major case for our members and our organization,” he said.
Bergen said the time of the incident is unknown. It could have happened anytime between Friday night and when police were called on Sunday evening, he said.
“We continue to look for those details.”
The suspect, Bergen said, was being interviewed by investigators looking to collect whatever evidence they were able to. Bergen said the suspect was arrested without incident.
Supports are being brought in to help the officers who responded to the scene, Bergen said.
“This incident is horrific and it’s uncommon,” he said.
“I can’t imagine how difficult it is for our staff to see what they’ve seen, do what they’ve had to do and process, understand and heal and move forward from that.”
He said members were debriefed, and a psychologist will work with the group and each officer one on one to provide the support they need to move forward.
“Our members are strong, but they’re also human,” Bergen said.
“This is going to be difficult for each and every one of them. We’ll make sure we check up on their wellness and keep them healthy so they can continue to serve as we’re expected to.”
