Police have charged Nathaniel Carrier, 28, with three counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder in a triple homicide from the weekend.
Carrier was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters Wednesday afternoon, Insp. Craig Mushka, who’s in Charge of the Criminal Investigations Division with the Prince Albert Police Service, said new information has led the police to believe the alleged murders took place Saturday.
Police found the bodies of 56-year-olds Denis Carrier and Sandra Henry, as well as seven-year-old Bentlee, in a home on the 300 block of MacArthur Drive on Sunday. Officers also found an injured five-year-old girl, Kendrah. She is being treated in an Edmonton hospital and is in serious, but stable condition. Police believe all three murders and the attempted murder occurred on the property.
Nathaniel is the father of the two children. Denis Carrier and Sanda Henry are his parents.
Police responded to the residence at about 4 p.m. on Sunday. A family friend was concerned with the well-being of the family and went to the residence, where they met up with one of the family members. From there, they contacted the police.
Mushka said police received information that Nathaniel was also living in that home at the time. However, when they arrived on the scene, he was not there. A vehicle belonging to Denis Carrier was missing. It was found by the RCMP in La Ronge.
Once enough evidence was collected to support criminal charges, Nathaniel was arrested without incident in Prince Albert Tuesday afternoon. The investigation is ongoing.
Autopsies are set to be conducted today and tomorrow.
Mushka said he’s not able to say where Nathaniel was when police located him, though he expects that information to be revealed during the court process.
Police continue to collect evidence, including nearby video surveillance. They declined to comment on the cause and manner of death to ensure the integrity of the investigation. Mushka also declined to speculate as to Nathaniel’s motive.
“We’re very early on in our investigation,” he said.
“It’s human nature to want to know why something like this occurred, but as with any homicide investigation, when we’re collecting the evidence and the facts, we’ll attempt to answer that question. Sometimes, it isn’t always feasible.”
The La Ronge RCMP, general investigation service and RCMP Major Crimes Unit North are assisting Prince Albert police in determining Nathaniel’s actions while he was in La Ronge. The Regina Police Service is assisting as well. They helped at the crime scene by providing a 3D scanner to collect evidence.
Mushka said he anticipates more information will be released as the investigation and court proceedings progress.
