The Whole Story

[jack]

From the "K" Div Media site and sent to all Divisional Officer's in Charge in Canada:

 

"Mayerthorpe Criminal Proceedings: Sentencing

 

Edmonton, Alberta - January 30, 2009

 

"This morning, Court of Queen's Bench Justice Eric Macklin sentenced

Shawn

Hennessey and Dennis Cheeseman, after accepting their guilty pleas on

four counts each, of Manslaughter as entered in Edmonton Court of

Queen's Bench on Monday, January 19th, 2009. Mr. Hennessey and Mr.

Cheeseman were arrested and charged in

July, of 2007 with four counts of first degree murder. A lengthy 28

month investigation provided the requisite evidence to lay charges of

First Degree Murder under Section 235 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

Mr. Hennessey and Mr. Cheeseman were charged for their involvement in

aiding and/or abetting James Roszko. Roszko ambushed and murdered

Royal

Canadian Mounted Police Constables Anthony Gordon, Leo Johnston, Brock

Myrol and Peter Schiemann, before taking his own life on March 3rd,

2005, near Mayerthorpe, Alberta.

My deepest sympathies and admiration go out to each of the families

of the fallen four for their patience, their fortitude, their

confidence, and their enduring support for the RCMP throughout this

most difficult of times. When your loved ones joined the RCMP, all of

you became a part of our extended RCMP family. As a family, all our

employees across Canada, and those serving at international postings,

have grieved along with each of you. Our hearts remain heavy with the

burden of your loss - - and with the burden of our loss.

As the Commanding Officer of the RCMP in "K" Division, I thank

all

our employees for your patience and support throughout the course of a

very long, very difficult, and very complex criminal investigation. I

personally assure you that an extremely competent and dedicated team

of

investigators, supported by equally competent and dedicated legal

advisors from Alberta Justice, conducted a comprehensive and

disciplined investigation. An investigation that methodically and

thoroughly followed the evidentiary trail, and with strength of

purpose

- gathered facts, and presented those facts to Judge Peter Ayotte at

the Preliminary Hearing in April of last year. This resulted in His

Honor, having bound both accused over for trial on a charge of First

Degree Murder.

As the details of any investigation are placed on the court record

and publication bans permit, these details then become available to

the

public. On Monday, January 19th, 2009, Mr. Hennessey and Mr.

Cheeseman,

entered a guilty plea to four counts of Manslaughter under Section 236

of the Criminal Code of Canada. A Statement of Facts, signed by

prosecutors, respective defense counsel for Mr. Cheeseman and Mr.

Hennessey, along with agreement and signatures from Mr. Hennessey and

Mr. Cheeseman themselves, was then read into evidence in Court of

Queen's Bench. As the result of the facts presented the guilty pleas

were accepted by the court. The "Agreed Statement of Fact",

testimony

and related evidence provided at the Preliminary Inquiry, and

previously undisclosed evidence and information, has now been made

public to all Canadians.

The twenty-eight month criminal investigation into the murder of

four young police officers on March 3rd, 2005, has been the subject of

extraordinary speculation, uninformed innuendo and unfounded

accusation, that has largely focused on the RCMP -- but has caused

immeasurable pain to the families and loved ones of the four murdered

RCMP Officers. This speculation, innuendo and accusation can now be

judged against the factual evidence. Facts that are only now,

available

to the public in accordance with the law - -the law that we, the RCMP,

have been and continue to be duty bound to follow. These facts provide

for the context and scope of the four homicides and the extent of the

criminal investigation that was to follow.

Through the aforementioned agreed statement of facts, the public now

knows:

On March 2nd, 2005, Alberta Baliffs

set out to execute a warrant authorizing the seizure of a 2005 Ford

Pick-up from James Roszko, at his farm outside of Mayerthorpe,

Alberta;Mr.

Roszko departed his farm across a field, evading the seizure of the

vehicle. Baliffs contacted the RCMP in Mayerthorpe for assistance,

that

ultimately resulted in the identification of an enclosed marihuana

grow

operation containing 280 plants, along with stolen automobile parts

and

truck frames;Mr.Roszko made several calls to Shawn

Hennessey's work and home phone numbers which included a request for

Hennessey to hide his truck at Hennessey's residence;Roszko

later arrived at the Hennessey/Cheeseman residence, armed with a Luger

handgun in his waist band, seeking a rifle that had been given to

Hennessey by his grandfather;Mr. Hennessey wiped down the

rifle, and then handed the Winchester .300 Magnum rifle and a box of

.300 Magnum ammunition over to Roszko;Mr. Cheeseman

provided Roszko with a pillow case, and some gloves from the basement

of his residence, and placed the rifle in the pillow case. These

articles were later seized as evidence at the scene of the four

murders, along with a bed sheet, Bear Spray and a bottle of

water;During

this extended period of time, Roszko was enraged at the RCMP. Both Mr.

Hennessey and Mr. Cheeseman knew that an armed confrontation with the

RCMP was a real possibility; Mr. Hennessey and Mr.

Cheeseman, then drove Roszko to the immediate area of his farm, where

Roszko, Mr. Cheeseman and Mr. Hennessey could clearly see the lights

from the police cars at the entrance to his Quonset. Mr. Hennessey and

Mr. Cheeseman were present, as Roszko pulled socks over his boots

before proceeding off in the direction of the police, then armed with

the Luger pistol in his waist band, and Mr. Hennessey's Winchester

high

caliber rifle and ammo.Mr. Cheeseman suggested calling the

police to warn them about Roszko, but no call was ever placed by

either

Mr. Hennessey or Mr. Cheeseman;After dropping off Roszko,

later that morning Mr. Hennessey departed the company of his family

and

travelled to Edmonton for a work-related conference and Mr. Cheeseman

headed off to work to engage a normal work day;At

approximately 10 o'clock, on March 3rd, 2005, Constables Gordon,

Johnston, Myrol and Scheimann entered the Roszko Quonset, while

Cpl.Vigor and Cst. Hoogestraat prepared to effect a comprehensive

search for stolen automobile parts; A well-armed Roszko

ambushed and murdered four on-duty members of the Royal Canadian

Mounted Police inside the Quonset located on his property and

attempted

to murder Cpl. Stephen Vigor, who returned fire and struck Roszko

twice

before Roszko took his own life;Mr. Hennessey and Mr.

Cheeseman learned of the murder of the four police officers and the

death of Mr. Roszko, later in the day of March 3rd, 2005; Mr.

Hennessey and Mr. Cheeseman did not contact police;Shawn

Hennessey and his mother Sandy Hennessey discussed the fact that the

Winchester.300 Magnum rifle was registered to Shawn's grandfather,

John

Hennessey. The senior Hennessey was quite sure that it was his own

suggestion that they all "story" to the police the notion that the

rifle had been stolen from the back of John Hennessey's welding

truck;Shawn

Hennessey and Dennis Cheeseman were approached by investigators on

numerous occasions during the course of the 28 month investigation in

order for them to tell police what they knew of the murders;Mr.

Hennessey and Mr. Cheeseman were charged with First Degree Murder. The

law clearly states that an individual who participates in the murder

of

a police officer, will be charged with First Degree murder, as opposed

to the lesser charge of Second Degree murder. A Preliminary Hearing

provided the courts with a portion of the evidence against the two

accused that resulted in Mr. Cheeseman and Mr. Hennessey being bound

over for trial on a charge of First Degree Murder;Mr.

Hennessey and Mr. Cheeseman have pled guilty to a charge of

Manslaughter on the evidence and information provided at the

Preliminary Hearing.

With the advent of a guilty plea, the Province of Alberta is now in

a position to call a Fatality Inquiry. A Provincial Court judge would

conduct the public fatality inquiry. Once the Inquiry is complete, the

judge provides a written report to the public. As previously

mentioned,

in accordance with the law, I am prevented from commenting on any

issues that could prejudice the pending Fatality Inquiry.

While it can never be said often enough, I will close by thanking

the families of Cst. Gordon, Cst. Johnston, Cst. Myrol and Cst.

Scheimann. I acknowledge the extraordinary bravery of Cpl. Steve Vigor

and Cst. Garrett Hoogestratt. I further acknowledge the outstanding

professionalism of all the First Responders of March 3rd, 2005, and

our

criminal investigators and support personnel from Alberta, British

Columbia, Ottawa, and across Canada, that assisted in the

investigation. I want to thank Alberta Justice. I thank all the

employees of the RCMP and our policing colleagues within Canada and

around the world for your support. I want to acknowledge those in the

media that have exercised professionalism, patience and integrity.

Finally, I would like to thank all Canadians for your enduring

support."

Deputy Commissioner Rod Knecht

Commanding Officer RCMP "K" Division"

[bloom]

good post. Police and RCMP are too often not given the respect they deserve.

[Taco]

Thanks Jack, good post