A man and a youth have been arrested in connection to the RCMP investigation of the quadruple homicide at a home on the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation on February 4th. Eighteen-year-old Darrius Racette is charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He was arrested in Yorkton on Tuesday and appeared in court Wednesday afternoon and is back in Yorkton Provincial Court on Thursday. A male youth was arrested on Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation.
The four victims are 34-year-old Tracy Hotomani and 51-year-old Terry Jack, both from Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation, 44-year-old Sheldon Quewezance from Zagime Anishinabek, and 47-year-old Shauna Fay from Indian Head.
Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commander, Rhonda Blackmore, says as the investigation unfolded, it was determined the home where the deaths took place was targeted and not a random act of violence, so they believed there was no risk to public safety, and that’s why there was no public safety alert. On behalf of the Saskatchewan RCMP, Blackmore gave condolences to the families and community members impacted, saying, “The long-lasting effects of a loss of this magnitude are not lost on us. That’s why investigations like this are a top priority for the RCMP.”
Inspector Ashley St. Germaine, Senior Investigative Officer with the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Major Crimes Branch stated that although there was a firearms incident nearby on Zagime Anishinabek the same day as the homicides, involving 29-year-old Keagan Panipekeesick, it was unrelated. Police communicated the two incidents together to warn people living in those areas to be aware of potential threats and remain vigilant, but St. Germaine understands how the conclusion may have been drawn that they were connected, even though the RCMP didn’t publicly identify a suspect from the quadruple homicides.
The File Hills First Nations Police Service responded just after 11a.m. on Tuesday, February 4th after being alerted about a sudden death at a home on the Nakoda Nation. When they arrived, four people were found dead. Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes investigators were then called in to take carriage of the investigation.
File Hills First Nations Police Service, Regina Police Services and Saskatchewan RCMP’s General Investigation Section, Forensic Identification Services, Historical Case Unit, Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams, Indigenous Policing Services, and local RCMP detachments all assisted with this investigation.
