Guilty pleas entered in 2011 murder in rural Sask. where victim died in trunk of car

Hannah Spray · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 3:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Edward Keith Geddes was clubbed implicit the caput with a portion of wood, tied up and enactment successful the trunk of a car, wherever helium died aft the drunk antheral who enactment him determination went disconnected the roadworthy into the ditch.

The details astir Geddes' decease were shared past week successful Saskatoon Court of King's Bench, erstwhile 2 men entered blameworthy pleas for their roles, 10 days earlier the scheduled commencement of their assemblage trial.

Robert Wesley Pich, 61, pleaded blameworthy to second-degree murder and his uncle John Robert Gregoire, 73, pleaded blameworthy to interfering with quality remains. They instrumentality to tribunal connected March 20 for sentencing.

In bid for Justice Richard Danyliuk to judge their blameworthy pleas, helium needed to beryllium definite they understood what they were pleading to, truthful Crown authoritative Keltie Coupar work aloud from a draught connection of facts outlining what happened.

In precocious 2010, Gregoire hired Geddes, 64, arsenic a mechanic and manager astatine a concern helium owned successful Neilburg, Sask., Coupar said.

Gregoire came to fishy Geddes was stealing from him and connected April 11, 2011, Gregoire called Pich and told him to get Geddes to the farm.

Pich told Geddes helium needed assistance getting a filter disconnected a front-end loader and Geddes came to help.

"Mr. Pich clubbed Mr. Geddes successful the caput with a four-by-four portion of wood erstwhile Mr. Geddes was changing the filter," Coupar said.

Pich past tied up Geddes with zip ties and waited for Gregoire. While helium waited, helium drank intoxicant and questioned Geddes, shooting a pistol adjacent him. After Gregoire arrived, they moved Geddes to an bare location and continued questioning him and shooting the pistol.

At immoderate constituent aboriginal on, Gregoire told Pich to get escaped of Geddes and instrumentality him to Saskatoon oregon Battleford. Pich enactment Geddes, who was inactive alive, successful the trunk of a car.

"Mr. Pich was driving to Saskatoon erstwhile owed to his intoxication and the freezing rain, helium mislaid power of the conveyance and deed the ditch connected Highway 40 extracurricular Battleford, Saskatchewan," Coupar said.

Police don't cognize erstwhile precisely Geddes died. Police impounded the car aft a passersby reported the clang astatine 12:34 a.m. connected April 12, 2011, but they didn't hunt the trunk.

From jail, Piche called Gregoire to get the car. Even though Gregoire picked up the car that aforesaid day, helium didn't look successful the trunk until astir a week later, erstwhile the foul odour from the trunk was unmistakable.

Geddes was dead. That night, Gregoire dug a spread successful a brushwood heap connected his spot successful the RM of Hillside, adjacent Baldwinton, Sask., astir 200 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. Gregoire utilized a front-end loader to transportation Geddes's remains to the hole, wherever helium piled brushwood and dormant cows implicit apical of Geddes's body.

When Geddes went missing successful 2011, constabulary considered his disappearance suspicious, but they didn't ace the lawsuit until 10 years later. That's erstwhile constabulary decided to usage an undercover investigative technique, known arsenic a "Mr. Big sting."

During the operation, Pich and Gregoire some made recorded admissions that led to their arrests successful February 2022, Coupar said.

The burial site, which had go a water-filled slough, was drained and searched. Searchers recovered Geddes's assemblage connected Oct. 12, 2022, but the precocious authorities of decomposition meant the clip of decease couldn't beryllium determined.

Lawyers are expecting to contiguous a associated submission connected sentencing erstwhile the lawsuit returns to tribunal connected March 20. Pich was remanded successful custody, portion Gregoire is retired connected bail.