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Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes seeks information about death of Red Deer, AB woman

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From Saskatchewan RCMP

In February 2021, Watrous RCMP received a report of human remains located in the RM of Morris, SK. Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes took carriage of the investigation. Background is available here: https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2021/rcmp-major-crime-unit-south-human-remains-located-watrous-detachment-area.

Since then, Major Crimes has been working to identify the remains, in conjunction with Watrous RCMP, Saskatchewan RCMP’s Forensic Identification Services, Police Dog Services, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service and a forensic anthropologist.

In March 2022, investigators enlisted the assistance of a forensic genealogy firm. Using DNA, the experts were able to determine the deceased individual had closely-related relatives in the Red Deer, AB area.

Further investigation by Major Crimes determined the remains likely belonged to a woman from Red Deer, who was last seen there in January 2021. She had not been reported missing to police. In January 2023, Saskatchewan RCMP Forensic Identification Services conclusively determined the human remains belong to Kassandra Jorquera, who would have been 27 years old at the time of her death. Her family has been notified.

Major Crimes continues to investigate the circumstances of Kassandra’s death, which investigators have determined is suspicious in nature.

Investigators want to speak with anyone who has information about Kassandra’s death, or has knowledge of her activities in and around January 2021. Kassandra often frequented Red Deer and is known to have been there in January 2021. She also visited Grande Prairie periodically. Her connection to Saskatchewan is unknown at this time.

Investigators are releasing her photo and description to help advance this investigation. Kassandra was approximately 5’5” and 110 lbs. She had shoulder-length dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her family describes her as having “beautiful” teeth.

“Since February 2021, we’ve worked diligently to identify the person located deceased. We now know it’s Kassandra. Our work continues: we need to retrace all of her steps in January 2021,” says Sgt. Ryan Boogaard from Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes. “I know it was some time ago, but we’re asking people – particularly in the Red Deer area – to take a look at her picture and think back. Did you know Kassandra? Did you speak with her or encounter her in the weeks after New Year’s 2021? You may have a piece of the puzzle that will help us determine what happened to her in those final weeks of her life.”

Anyone with information on Kassandra’s death, or whereabouts in and around January 2021, should contact Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes at 639-625-4535. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

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Crime

UK finally admits clear evidence linking Pakistanis and child grooming gangs

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Quick Hit:

After years of denial and political cover-ups, the UK government has formally acknowledged a disturbing link between Pakistani-heritage men and child grooming gangs. A scathing new review has prompted Prime Minister Keir Starmer to reverse course and launch a full national inquiry into the widespread abuse.

Key Details:

  • The Casey Review found “clear evidence” of Pakistani men’s overrepresentation in grooming gangs and accused authorities of ignoring the abuse to avoid accusations of racism.
  • Home Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed over 800 historic child sex abuse cases will be reopened and prosecuted where possible.
  • The Labour Party and Prime Minister Starmer were previously opposed to a national inquiry, with critics calling this reversal a politically motivated “smokescreen.”

Diving Deeper:

The British government has finally acknowledged a link between Pakistani-heritage men and the grooming gang epidemic that has plagued communities across England for decades. The admission comes following the release of a damning public review led by Baroness Louise Casey, which uncovered years of institutional failure, racial sensitivity, and political cowardice.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper presented the findings in Parliament, confirming that the Casey Review had “identified clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.” She condemned the systematic rape of vulnerable girls—some as young as 10—and the authorities’ “unforgivable” failure to act.

“The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes,” Cooper said, noting that too many warnings had been ignored over the last 15 years. She announced that the government would adopt all of Baroness Casey’s recommendations and reopen more than 800 historic cases.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who previously dismissed calls for a national inquiry as “far-right misinformation,” abruptly changed course over the weekend and agreed to a full inquiry with legal authority to compel testimony. This reversal followed mounting pressure from campaigners like Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, Elon Musk, and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, once ousted for raising alarms about Pakistani grooming gangs in her Rotherham constituency, welcomed the inquiry. “There’s a real sense justice has not been handed out fairly,” she said, accusing officials of failing victims for fear of “causing offense.”

The Casey review also pointed to illegal immigration as a contributing factor and called for mandatory ethnicity data collection in child exploitation cases. Critics argue that authorities in Labour-run areas turned a blind eye to the abuse—some allegedly in exchange for votes—treating white working-class girls as expendable while shielding perpetrators.

Former detective and grooming whistleblower Maggie Oliver expressed skepticism, warning that unless the inquiry is led by Baroness Casey, it risks becoming another whitewash. “This is about gross criminal neglect at the top of policing, at the top of government, at the top of social services,” Oliver said.

While the inquiry marks a long-overdue step toward accountability, some warn it may be politically perilous for Starmer. As former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, he held a central role when many of these abuses first surfaced. And with many of the cover-ups tied to Labour councils, the fallout could deepen public distrust in the party.

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Crime

Minnesota shooter arrested after 48-hour manhunt

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Vance Luther Boelter, accused of killing former Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, was captured Sunday after leading law enforcement on a 48-hour manhunt.

Key Details:

  • Boelter allegedly began his rampage around 2 a.m. Saturday at Sen. Hoffman’s Champlin home, shooting both the senator and his wife, Yvette. The couple survived after emergency surgery.

  • He then traveled to Rep. Melissa Hortman’s Brooklyn Park home, where she was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband died shortly afterward at a hospital.

  • The suspect reportedly sent a farewell message to friends before fleeing and was later arrested in a Sibley County field Sunday night.

Diving Deeper:

Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of carrying out a targeted shooting of Democrat lawmakers in Minnesota, was taken into custody Sunday night following a 48-hour manhunt that spanned multiple counties. According to a report from Alpha News, Boelter was arrested in a field in rural Sibley County after evading police for more than a day following the deadly shootings.

Boelter, 57, previously served as an appointee under Gov. Tim Walz and is accused of murdering former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and injuring State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. Authorities say Boelter disguised himself as a police officer—complete with a uniform, ballistic vest, and Halloween mask—before launching the coordinated attacks early Saturday morning.

The violence began just after 2 a.m. when Boelter allegedly entered the Hoffman residence in Champlin and opened fire. Both the senator and his wife were struck multiple times. Their daughter, Hope, was reportedly shielded from the gunfire by her mother. The couple’s nephew confirmed that both John and Yvette Hoffman underwent surgery and were listed in stable condition by Sunday.

From there, Boelter allegedly drove to Brooklyn Park and carried out a second attack at the home of Speaker Emerita Hortman. The 55-year-old lawmaker was found dead inside the home, while her husband was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Brooklyn Park police officers, alerted by the earlier incident, arrived as Boelter was leaving the Hortman residence. A standoff ensued, with officers briefly cornering the suspect inside the house and opening fire, though Boelter managed to flee.

Boelter reportedly sent a chilling text message to close friends. “David and Ron, I love you guys. I made some choices, and you guys don’t know anything about this, but I’m going to be gone for a while,” he wrote. “May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way.”

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