deadmonton 2006 - saskatchewan RCMP deaths - the dagenais letter
The following is an excerpt of Max Maudie's article as printed in the Edmonton Sun on July 18, 2006. Below are images of the five-page letter.
Letter full of blame
Writer, who claims to be shooting suspect, gives his version of events
By MAX MAUDIE, EDMONTON SUN
RCMP are investigating a letter to the Edmonton Sun they believe may have been penned by the prime suspect in the Saskatchewan Mountie murders.
The signature on the letter reads Curt Dagenais.
The letter blames police and Dagenais's sister for the shooting.
"I feel terrible about what has happened, but they (police) would not leave me alone," states the letter.
The five-page letter was postmarked Friday at Shell Lake, Sask., a town of 172 people about 30 km from Spiritwood.
The letter writer recalls the dispute, saying he wanted to remove some "so-called family of mine" from his home.
The writer said he and his mother Elsie own the property, "not my sister (Grace), who I wanted removed ... because she has told me things to mislead me, to give herself more time to screw me over as to division of family property due to the divorce of (my parents)."
The writer complains Mounties wouldn't help him remove his sister from the home, not because "it was family," as Mounties allegedly told him, but because of a pending civil lawsuit of his against Mounties over alleged "obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence." A Mountie spokesman yesterday couldn't confirm the suit.
Cameron and Bourdages arrived at the house, while the letter writer waited outside in his truck.
"Cameron said I was under arrest for assault and assault with a weapon. I couldn't believe it. I had a screaming match with my sister, but never touched her.
"When I (earlier) backed away (out of the yard) with my pickup, I didn't realize my steering was turned the wrong way and crowded Grace a bit. But Elsie and Grace can wrap any RCMP around their finger."
The writer said he was so startled at being under arrest he fled because he felt that was "within my rights."
During the chase that followed, the writer complains police "would ram me hard, hoping to spin me out of control, hoping that I would roll."
When he came to a stop at some trees, he said he didn't have a chance to get out of the truck before Mounties started firing at him. "They wanted to kill me, to hush me about their dirty work."
The writer alleged he was earlier assaulted by police in an unrelated matter.
He said he wrote the letter to the Edmonton Sun because he used to buy the newspaper on trips to Lloydminster, which straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
He said he likes the Sun "because if you people have something to print, you print it ...."
The writer complained media in Saskatchewan didn't want to run his side of the story.
Lenore Jessop, Shell Lake's postmaster, said Mounties were in her post office shortly after the Mounties were notified of the letter yesterday. "They heard that he was in the area possibly, and to keep our eyes open. They were interested in the post box, was it locked at night."
Neither she nor a co-worker could recall seeing Dagenais.
The letter suggested phoning Dagenais' lawyer, Lori Gollan. Having seen the letter, she said it wasn't clear she was to comment on the case on his behalf. "I'd need some confirmation of that from my client," she said.
These are images of the five-page letter as posted on the Edmonton Sun web site on July 18, 2006. The obscurring of details was performed by the Sun.
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