BATTLEFORD – A man charged with first-degree murder in the death of 64-year-old Edward Keith Geddes has been granted bail.
John Gregoire had a show cause hearing in Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench on March 24. There is a ban on publication of the details of what was said during the show cause hearing.
Gregoire, 70, and Robert Welsey Pich, 58, were arrested after police raided a rural property outside of Baldwinton on Feb. 8. Gregoire is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping with a firearm, and indecently interfering with human remains. Pich is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping with a firearm, and careless use of a firearm.
Gregoire appears next in North Battleford Provincial Court on April 1, and Pich, who remains in custody, appears again on April 5.
RCMP say that when they went to Geddes’ home in Baldwinton for an arrest warrant in an unrelated incident in mid-April 2011, they found his dog dead in the entranceway and the dog’s death wasn’t from natural causes. Geddes was wanted for theft over $5,000 stemming from an offence in April 2011 in the community of Neilburg. The RCMP say they continue to search for Geddes’ remains.
The Saskatchewan RCMP Historical Case Unit and RCMP Major Crimes Unit renewed the investigation in 2021. Cut Knife RCMP and RCMP Forensic Identification Section assisted in the investigation.
