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Vern Donald Derocher, 40, died of stab wounds on April 2nd, 2010.

Derocher was the Edmonton metro area's fifth homicide victim of the year.

Case status is open and active.

On April 7th, 2010 RCMP revealed that 40-year-old Vern Donald Derocher had died five days earlier from injuries received on the Stony Plain 135 Indian reserve, also known as Enoch First Nation, immediately west of Edmonton.

At about 4:09 a.m. on April 2nd, Enoch RCMP had responded to a stabbing call at a home on the reserve.

Derocher, visiting from Hay River, Northwest Territories, was rushed to the University of Alberta Hospital where he died about 12 hours later.

RCMP released few details other than to say a man had been stabbed outside the house and had come inside to ask for help.

Inside the house, police found Derocher suffering from stab wounds.

"I don't know how many were in the house. I do know that he did come back and ask for help," RCMP Const. Barb Roy said.

"I know that he has family in Edmonton and family in Hay River. I know that he has been known to be on Enoch before so he has friends out there.

"At the time of the stabbing there was nobody else around that I know of, no eyewitnesses, but there were people in the area.

"We are continuing to interview people and we are working towards identifying who is responsible ... but we haven’t arrested anyone at this time," Roy said.

RCMP's Spruce Grove/Stony Plain investigators were joined by members of the Edmonton Forensic Identification Section, K Division Police Dog Service and the Major Crimes Unit.

Those with information regarding the incident were asked to contact the Stony Plain RCMP office at 780-968-7267, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or online at www.tipsubmit.com

Tips can also be text messaged. In Edmonton, text TIP250 + message and send to CRIMES (274637). In Northern Alberta, text TIP205 + message and send to CRIMES (274637).

The Enoch First Nation had not seen a homicide since 38-year-old Barbara Ann Matthews died of a single gunshot wound to the chest on January 13th, 2007, the result of a home invasion that took place during a house party.

Two men were charged with first-degree murder.

However, in exchange for guilty pleas, one man received six years for manslaughter while the other was sentenced to 32 months for aggravated assault.

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deadmonton 2010 - vern donald derocher