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Two women are the latest to be charged in connection with the 2024 death of Timothy Tootoosis, bringing the total number of people facing charges up to seven.
The Saskatoon Police Service said 43-year-old Destini Gardypie and 34-year-old Nakita Tootoosis were arrested by the Saskatchewan RCMP after police in Saskatoon issued warrants for their arrest in relation to the 2024 death.
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“Gardypie has been charged with first degree murder and unlawful confinement. Tootoosis has been charged with manslaughter,” the police force said in a statement.
“Both women have since appeared in court and were remanded into custody pending their next appearance.”
According to police, officers found the body of a homicide victim while they were executing a search warrant at a home on 22nd Street West, in the city’s Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, on Dec. 18, 2024.
“Upon entering the residence, officers located a deceased male,” the Saskatoon Police Service said in a statement. “Three men and one woman were taken into police custody for further questioning but were later released without charges.”
According to police, officers found the body of a homicide victim while they were executing a search warrant at a home on 22nd Street West, in the city’s Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, on Dec. 18, 2024. (Will Mandzuk/650 CKOM)
On Nov. 6, 41-year-old Donovan Lemstra was arrested in Calgary after officers in Saskatoon issued a warrant for his arrest. He was charged with first-degree murder, offering an indignity to human remains and unlawful confinement.
Then, on Nov. 12 and 13, Saskatoon police arrested 40-year-old Michael Landry and 27-year-old Michael McCallum, who are now facing the same list of charges.
On Tuesday, police said two more people have been arrested for their alleged roles in the man’s killing.
According to police, 22-year-old Emmery Aubichon and 45-year-old Vernon Peequaquat were arrested on Friday and Monday. They’ve also been charged with first-degree murder, unlawful confinement and offering an indignity to human remains.
In a previous interview, Priscilla Tootoosis-Iron, Tootoosis’ mother, told 650 CKOM that her son’s body was in pieces when it was discovered.
“His body was lying there. He was dismembered,” Tootoosis-Iron said. “It was done after he (had) already passed… He was large, physically, so clearly they were doing that to dispose of his body.”
Tootoosis-Iron said her son began to struggle with an alcohol addiction in 2018 after his grandfather’s death.
“What started off as a way to medicate his grief snowballed from there into addictions,” she said, noting that his drinking became chronic and led to friendships with those who had “questionable lifestyles.”
“Life certainly happened to my child,” she said. “And what happened was he went to a party and he never left.”
Police said the case represents the city’s 15th homicide investigation of 2024.
