Uncle, nephew sentenced for roles in 2011 rural Sask. murder where victim died in car trunk

Dan Zakreski · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 4:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

An uncle and nephew are going to situation for murdering 64-year-old Edward Geddes in 2011 and past burying his assemblage connected a workplace adjacent Baldwinton, Sask., astir 200 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.

Robert Pich, 61, pleaded blameworthy to second-degree murder. His uncle, 73-year-old John Gregoire, pleaded blameworthy to burying the victim's assemblage connected his farm.

Justice Richard Danyliuk accepted a associated sentencing submission from authoritative Cory Bliss and defence lawyers Brian Pfefferle and Jonathan Bodvarson.

Pich was sentenced to beingness successful situation with nary accidental of parole for 15 years. With recognition for clip connected remand, helium tin use for parole successful 12 years. Gregoire, who was retired connected bail, was sentenced to 5 years.

In a unfortunate connection work successful court, Geddes's young sister said her member had problems successful his life, "but helium was ne'er a mean man."

Danyliuk besides noted that, adjacent though the unfortunate whitethorn had idiosyncratic issues, "his beingness was not yours to take."

Bliss work an agreed connection of facts into the record.

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. On 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.

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

Danyliuk noted that RCMP investigated and chased down leads for much than a decade. The interruption successful the lawsuit came erstwhile undercover officers befriended Pich and helium made admissions that led to the betterment of the body.