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Toronto Sun
01-08-2025
- Toronto Sun
3 escaped Grenadian prisoners sentenced in killing of U.S. yachting couple
Published Aug 01, 2025 • 1 minute read The families of Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry fear the yachting couple were murdered by escaped convicts in the Caribbean. GOFUNDME Photo by GoFundMe SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Three escaped prisoners from the eastern Caribbean island of Grenada who were accused of killing an elderly U.S. couple last year after hijacking their catamaran have been sentenced. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Ron Mitchell, a sailor in his 30s who was accused of being the ringleader, received two life sentences late Wednesday in the killings of Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel. Atiba Stanislaus, a farmer in his late 20s, received 60 years for manslaughter and nearly 18 years for the rape of Brandel, among other sentences, for a variety of crimes including kidnapping. Trevon Robertson, an unemployed man in his early 20s, received 56 years for manslaughter and other sentences for different crimes, according to local media reports. The New Today , a local newspaper, reported that prosecutors said the men bound and gagged the couple before throwing them overboard, with Mitchell accused of steering the yacht over Hendry. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The two bodies were never found. Police at the time said the men had escaped in late February 2024 from the South Saint George Police Station. They hijacked the catamaran Simplicity on the following day and then headed to nearby St. Vincent, where they were arrested, according to authorities. The nonprofit Salty Dawg Sailing Association had said that Hendry and Brandel were 'veteran cruisers' and longtime members of the association, calling them 'warm-hearted and capable.' It said the couple was spending the winter cruising in the eastern Caribbean. Toronto & GTA Toronto Blue Jays Columnists Celebrity Canada
Winnipeg Free Press
11-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Drowning at Caddy Lake third in Whiteshell region this year
A 23-year-old Winnipeg man died in Caddy Lake Thursday afternoon, marking the third drowning in Manitoba's Whiteshell region this year. Police responded at 1:22 p.m., after receiving reports that two men had entered the water, but only one resurfaced. The Whiteshell fire department and emergency medical services also responded. The man, whose identity is not known, was found under the water and was pronounced dead at the scene. GOFUNDME Harpreet Kaur Girn GOFUNDME Harpreet Kaur Girn Harpreet Kaur Girn, 38, died in the Whiteshell Provincial Park on May 31. Police said she was walking on the rocks at Sturgeon Falls, near Nutamik Lake, when she slipped and fell into fast-moving water. A Manitoba Conservation Service officer pulled her from the lake and she was taken to hospital and pronounced dead, RCMP said at the time. Girn was later identified as a mother of two in a GoFundMe fundraiser started by friends. A similar fundraiser was launched this week in support of Devkarn Singh, who was identified publicly for the first time as the 20-year-old man who died at the Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park on May 4. 'Devkarn was a bright light in our lives — known for his kind soul, his laughter, and the deep love he carried for his family, friends, and community,' reads the fundraiser, launched by Sikh community group Misl Winnipeg. 'In this time of unimaginable loss, we are coming together to support his parents, who are now grieving the loss of their only son… Devkarn touched so many lives in his short time here. If you had the privilege of knowing him, you knew the joy he carried and the love he spread.' Police reported that Singh was on top of a small waterfall at the dam when he slipped on wet rocks and fell in the water. Police and firefighters searched the water and shoreline, but the man's body was not recovered until the following day. The fundraiser seeks to raise money to cover funeral expenses, time away from work and other costs for Singh's parents, it said. The Free Press has reached out to Misl Winnipeg for further comment. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Seinbach crash victim passionate about becoming pilot
An Ontario woman says their world has been turned upside down after the mid-air collision in Steinbach Tuesday claimed the life of her son's girlfriend.. Kelly Vadori, of Aurora, has launched a GoFundMe to support the family of 20-year-old Savanna May Royes, her son's partner, in hopes of easing the financial weight on her family. 'My son (Jaxon Vadori) and Savanna were more than a couple, they were bonded in love and loyalty,' the fundraiser's page said. 'A ring was given to Savanna shortly before she left for pilot school, as Jaxon's promise to Savanna that when she was back in just a few months, he would replace that ring with a larger one.' GOFUNDME Savanna May Royes was one of two pilots killed in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Tuesday. Jaxon had just graduated from the College of Sports Media and had recently secured an internship with Sportsnet — a milestone moment shadowed by loss, the fundraiser says. Sreehari Sukesh, a certified private pilot and international student from India, was identified as the second victim. Both were students at Harv's Air flight training school, located in Steinbach about 50 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. Vadori said she learned about the crash while at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children with her daughter, who considered Royes her sister. 'My son called screaming and I fell to my knees,' she said. 'There is nothing I can say to Savanna's mother and father that will bring back their amazing, full of life, ambitious, beautiful little girl.' Vadori said Royes had become a pillar of support for the family, especially during her own battle with cancer. 'She just didn't want me to be alone,' Vadori wrote. 'She helped me immensely with my nine-year-old daughter, when I went through cancer treatment, and my husband had to be at work, and both of my boys were at school.' Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. Vadori expressed deep compassion for Royes' parents, Tim and Loraine. 'I know that my pain as a mother will never ever compare to the pain that Savanna's mother is in right now,' she wrote. 'And I cannot for the life of me fathom having to bury my child.' Royes had dreamed of becoming a pilot since she was 16, following in her father's footsteps. It was a path she pursued with determination and passion, the fundraising page says. The Transportation Safety Board is investigating Tuesday's crash. Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Toronto Sun
17-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
Third person hunted in 2023 murder of Brampton food delivery driver
Devaunte Thompson, a 25-year-old man from Caledon, is wanted for second-degree murder. Photo by Handout / Peel Regional Police A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for a third suspect in the murder of a Brampton food delivery driver two years ago. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Peel Regional Police said the victim, 24-year-old Gurvinder Nath, was working in the area of Britannia and Creditview Rds. in Mississauga on July 9, 2023. When he arrived at the delivery address, Nath was confronted by suspects who attempted to take his vehicle — a physical altercation then occurred. The suspects fled the scene in Nath's vehicle, leaving him at the side of the road with life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a trauma centre where he later died. Food delivery driver Gurvinder Nath died after a carjacking in Mississauga. GOFUNDME In November 2023, police said a young person was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. A second arrest was made in February 2024 when Jazaine Kerr was charged with second-degree murder and possession of a prohibited firearm. Jazaine Kerrhas, 21, of Brampton, is charged in the July 2023 death of food delivery driver Gurvinder Nath. Photo by Handout / Peel Regional Police On Tuesday, cops said a Canada-wide warrant was issued May 30 for Devaunte Thompson, a 25-year-old man from Caledon, for second-degree murder. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Thompson is described as Black, approximately 6 feet tall with a medium complexion, thin build, and brown eyes. Investigators are urging Thompson to seek legal counsel and surrender to the police. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Devaunte is asked to contact the Homicide and Missing Persons Bureau at 905-453-2121 ext. 3205. Information may also be left anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or online at Read More RECOMMENDED VIDEO Toronto Maple Leafs Canada Toronto & GTA Columnists Canada
Winnipeg Free Press
03-06-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Friends mourn mother of two who drowned in Whiteshell
The victim of a drowning in Whiteshell Provincial Park on Saturday has been identified as a mother of two. The 38-year-old died after she slipped on rocks and fell into the water at Sturgeon Falls near Nutimik Lake on Saturday afternoon, RCMP said. Friends have identified the victim as Harpreet Kaur Girn. One described the loss as 'the toughest and unimaginable time' of Girn's family's life. GOFUNDME Harpreet Kaur Girn, 38, a mother of two drowned in the Whiteshell on Saturday. 'No one is ever ready to (lose their) family member, same goes for two little kids waiting for their (mom),' reads the friend's GoFundMe fundraiser for Girn's loved ones, created on the weekend. 'They don't even realize that their mom who went to the waterfall and was with them until few hours ago will never return back now.' The fundraiser said her parents are in shock, while many of her friends are 'inconsolable.' 'It all ended with a sudden slip that drew her into water and ended many (lives) not just hers,' said the fundraiser, which was created for her husband and children. Lifesaving Society Manitoba's executive director, Lynne Stefanchuk, described the woman's death as a tragedy. 'Our hearts just break for the family,' said Stefanchuk. 'You never want to see someone's life taken suddenly like that.' Stefanchuk warned the public to take precautions, as the summer begins and people flock to swim and spend time near bodies of water. 'You never know what might happen, so be as prepared as possible is really what we encourage people to do,' she said, adding that can include wearing a life jacket in or near the water, keeping kids close and abstaining from alcohol when boating or swimming. 'You never want to have to think about hindsight,' said Stefanchuk. She encouraged everyone, particularly people new to Canada, to take basic swimming lessons. 'Those basic safety lessons can make the difference when it finally comes down to it, if something should happen,' said Stefanchuk. Whitemouth RCMP were called to the area of the falls at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, where bystanders told them the water's strong current pulled Girn into the lake. A conservation officer in a boat was later able to find her in Nutimik Lake. She was taken to hospital and pronounced dead, RCMP said Monday. The drowning is not the first time a person has died at Sturgeon Falls, about 125 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg and 20 kilometres from the Ontario border. Accessible by a hiking trail, the falls are located on a narrow section of fast and deep water between Nutimik and Numao lakes on the Winnipeg River system. Rough water conditions, including surfing waves, have made the site a popular draw for experienced kayakers, while also creating safety concerns. A 12-year-old boy from Winnipeg, Usaid Habib, slipped into the water while climbing down the rocks on May 27, 2023. A bystander jumped into the water to try to save him, but could not get him to shore. RCMP recovered the boy's body two days later. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. In mid-May 2017, former Kenora police chief Dan Jorgensen died in a kayaking incident near the falls, after his boat overturned in rough waters at the base of the rapids. He was en route to Gimli on the Winnipeg River at the time. The trail to Sturgeon Falls was not open to the public Saturday, amid the province's mandatory evacuation of parts of the Whiteshell due to wildfires, though the campground at Nutimik Lake had reopened Friday. Elsewhere in Manitoba this year, a 20-year-old man drowned at the Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park. The man slipped on wet rocks at the top of a small waterfall at the dam and fell into the water on the evening of May 4, RCMP said. His body was found the following day. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
