Saskatoon police have confirmed the city recorded eight homicides during the 2025 calendar year. Authorities have laid criminal charges in connection with five of those deaths, while three cases remain under active investigation.
Breakdown of the Year's Cases
Of the eight victims, six were male and two were female. Police have publicly identified only three of the individuals who lost their lives. The homicides occurred sporadically throughout the year, with incidents in January, April, May, June, July, and September. The locations varied widely, including a motel, a parking lot, private residences, and even a workplace.
The eight homicides in 2025 represent a decrease from the 15 recorded in 2024. Recent years have seen fluctuating numbers: 12 homicides in 2023, 13 in 2022, seven in 2021, and 12 in 2020. The city's record high remains 16 homicides, set in 2019.
Details of the 2025 Homicide Investigations
Homicide #1: Alfred Okyere, a 23-year-old international student from Ghana, was fatally stabbed on January 20 while working a night shift at DSI Underground in the 3900 block of Millar Avenue. Troy Francis Leclair is charged with first-degree murder. Okyere had been living in Saskatoon for only four months.
Homicide #2: On April 20, a 38-year-old man was found deceased in an apartment building on the 1400 block of Embassy Drive in the Holiday Park neighbourhood. Police have not released his name or the cause of death. No charges have been laid.
Homicide #3: Matthew Brabant, 20, died in hospital after being found with a gunshot wound at a motel on the 2000 block of Avenue B North on May 17. Lawrence Opikokew, 26, and Tyler Wayne Pambrun, 27, face first-degree murder charges.
Homicide #4: A 43-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was found suffering from a stab wound at Avenue B South and Spadina Crescent on May 18. He later died. This investigation remains open with no charges laid.
Homicide #5: Chad Romanski, 31, was killed in a shooting off Highway 7 on June 4. David Glen McKenzie, 39, and Gage Douglas Ulmer-Busler, 30, are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault. McKenzie faces additional firearm-related charges.
Ongoing Investigations and Community Impact
The three remaining homicides from 2025, where charges have not yet been laid, continue to be investigated by the Saskatoon Police Service. The cases underscore ongoing concerns about violent crime in the city. The police have not released detailed information on the victims or circumstances of the three unresolved cases, which include incidents from July and September.
The investigation into the city's sixth homicide of the year, which occurred on June 23 at a house on 701 Weldon Avenue in the King George neighbourhood, is among those where the investigative status has not been publicly detailed in the year-end summary.
