RCMP investigators have discovered the vehicle they believe Myles Sanderson used to escape James Smith Cree Nation following a series of stabbings on Sept. 4.

Officers discovered an abandoned black Nissan Rogue roughly 4 km east of Crystal Springs at around 9:40 a.m. on Friday. The vehicle was driven off the road and hidden behind some trees where it was not visible.

The licence plate also matches the one given in the initial report.

“The black Rogue was removed from the area and will be processed as part of the investigation,” Saskatchewan RCMP commander Rhonda Blackmore said in a video posted on the RCMP Saskatchewan Twitter account. “The area is closed off while further investigation occurs.”

RCMP will not be releasing any footage of the crime scene to protect its integrity.

Blackmore said the discovery will help investigators as they try to reconstruct a timeline of Sanderson’s movements prior to his arrest.

“This is and continues to be one of the most complex investigations and urgent public safety incidents in Saskatchewan’s history, and this continues to be an ongoing criminal investigation,” Blackmore said. “We know there remains a lot of questions and interest relating to the ongoing investigation.”

Investigators discovered the vehicle after receiving a tip that on Thursday from someone saying they may have seen Sanderson in the area on Sept. 4. RCMP located and interviewed the witness, who told officers there was an unknown male walking south on a grid road near the intersection of Range Road 2235 and Township Road 440 on Sept. 4 at 7:40 p.m.

Police have not confirmed that the man was Sanderson, but the clothing description and timeframe led police to believe he was in the area.

Residents who live nearby are asked to check their property for signs of suspicious activity if they have not already done so.

Following the interview, investigators began ground and aerial searches further north until discovering the abandoned vehicle.