Leona Tssessaze and Brent Denechezhe were shot to death before their bodies were recovered from a house fire in Denesuline Northlands First Nation in 2021. Photos: Manitoba RCMP
Manitoba RCMP announced an arrest Thursday they say wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the victims’ Dene community.
Supt. Rob Lasson said Leon Paul Mercredi was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the Sept. 9, 2021 deaths of Brent Denechezhe and Leona Tssessaze in Northlands Denesuline First Nation.
Mercredi, 22, is a member of Northlands who fled to Saskatchewan after the killings, Lasson told a news conference in Winnipeg.
Mercredi is accused of fatally shooting Denechezhe, 31, and Tssessaze, 24, after a disagreement at Denechezhe’s home and setting the house on fire to cover up the crime.
Lasson said Mercredi was staying with family members and friends in Fond Du Lac, one of the three Dene First Nations of Prince Albert Grand Council, before being arrested and returned to Winnipeg.
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Police seek help solving double homicide in Dene First Nation
“While we continue to seek more information, the investigation does not believe anyone else was involved in the shooting. I think that is important to know for the families and the community to begin their healing process.”
Lasson praised members of the small, isolated community, about 1,000 km north of Winnipeg, for working with officers to locate a suspect. He said the RCMP distributed posters seeking information in the Dene language, conducted interviews using a local interpreter and asked the victims’ mothers to make an appeal on the radio.
“Both of these strong women have been engaged with us throughout this investigation,” Lasson said of Veronique Denechezhe and Ellen Tssessaze.
“…I thank you for your courage, and for all you have done to help the RCMP to get us where we are today.”
The community’s leaders also permitted an RCMP constable to “embed” in the community, Lasson added, noting “when we engaged the community, the community responded wholeheartedly.”
Read the RCMP news release:
Manitoba RCMP lay two charges of First Degree Murder in double homicide
Northlands Chief Simon Denchezhe said his people are still trying to process the double tragedy that took the lives of two valued citizens, one of whom was his nephew.
“It’s a difficult emotional time for all of us again with a lot of mixed feelings,” Denchezhe told the news conference attended by family members, Indigenous leaders and provincial politicians.
“But there’s some sense of relief, there’s some closure.”
Denchezhe said losing Brent and Tssessaze has affected everyone in the First Nation of fewer than 1,000 people, where the accused’s family still lives.
“We cannot move forward in anger,” the chief said. “We must move forward in healing and we must do it together.”
