June 12, 1933 At around 3:15 in the afternoon, a few customers gathered at the door of the small general store in Redberry, Saskatchewan to buy stamps. The door was locked, but they weren’t alarmed, assuming the owner and postmaster, Peter Pommereul, would return soon. Someone went to his daughter’s house nearby and she returnedContinue reading “Murder in Redberry, Saskatchewan”
Tag Archives: murder trials
The Unsolved Murder of James Eli Johnson
The time has come to talk about the Saskatoon Bungalow Axe Murder. It was a case with an enormous amount of coverage at the time, not surprising, given the various mysterious and troubling aspects of the crime, and it remains unsolved to this day. I have my own theories, but before we get into those,Continue reading “The Unsolved Murder of James Eli Johnson”
Working on Something Good
Writing this blog has taught me a lot about myself, mostly about how much I relish investigating old murders. And when I sat down to learn about this week’s case, it became immediately apparent that I need more time. Because it is good. It is so good. And by good, I mean strange, complicated andContinue reading “Working on Something Good”
The Unfortunate End of Peter Daday
Picture if you will, a seventeen-year-old girl named Julia Wochuko (also saw it spelled Wockuko), living in the Wishart district of Saskatchewan in 1931. She’s young, she’s beautiful, and she’s having problems with her dad. Arguments, that sort of thing. What she really needs is to get away from him and assert her independence. ButContinue reading “The Unfortunate End of Peter Daday”
Murder at Lake Athabasca
If you go to the very North Westernly corner of Saskatchewan, you will find Lake Athabasca. It’s the largest and deepest lake in both Saskatchewan and Alberta (the lake sits directly on the border between the two provinces), and in 1935, it was the site of a grisly murder. Experienced trapper, John Harms, had decidedContinue reading “Murder at Lake Athabasca”
The Murder of Herbert Schill
It was a routine Sunday for Herbert Schill on October 16, 1938 in Lebret, Saskatchewan. First church, then lunch with a friend before returning home to his farm where his wife and family waited. In the evening, he changed out of his church clothes and went out to the barn with their farmhand, Stanley Illerbrun,Continue reading “The Murder of Herbert Schill”
The Straw Stack Murders
On April 16, 1933, Mike Swyck, a farmer in the Whitkow district of Saskatchewan, noticed his dog digging around in the ashes of his straw stack, which he had seen go up in flames from his farmhouse several days previous and decided to investigate. Peering into the ashes, he made a gruesome discovery. There, inContinue reading “The Straw Stack Murders”
April Showers Bring May Axe Murders
As my hunt for the haunted skull of the Kerrobert Courthouse continues, there are certain keywords that are certain to grab my attention as I scroll through the piles of 1930s news articles. Axe murder is definitely one that makes me sit up in my chair. And in the spring of 1934, just over aContinue reading “April Showers Bring May Axe Murders”
The Corpse Bride of Sokal, Saskatchewan
If you’ve been reading along, you know that I’m currently on a deep dive researching murders in Saskatchewan in the 1930s. (If you only just stumbled on my blog and would like to know what I’m talking about, read this and this.) Over the course of my research I’ve come across a lot of weirdContinue reading “The Corpse Bride of Sokal, Saskatchewan”
They Sure Like Their Strychnine, Don’t They?
A few weeks ago, I told you about my search for the mysterious skull that Kerrobert claims is behind their haunted courthouse. (If you haven’t read it, you can do so here.) I haven’t given up my quest, and have spent the last few weeks wading through what I can only describe as a lotContinue reading “They Sure Like Their Strychnine, Don’t They?”
Melanie Cole 