Saskatoon

The faces of Saskatoon's 2017 homicide victims

Tyler Applegate was a father of five killed after he confronted a gang member urinating on his fence. He was one of Saskatoon's five homicide last year.

A look at the men who lost their lives in the city's five killings last year

From left to right: Tyler Morin, Rodney Wailing, Bailey Lonechild and Tyler Applegate

Tyler Applegate was a father of five and a handyman who lived with his large family. He was killed after he confronted a gang member urinating on his fence. 

Tyler Morin had left the gang life behind and spent years talking about his experiences. He was stabbed to death. 

Rodney Wailing never went anywhere without his dog. 

Bailey Lonechild recorded his own music and was trying to turn his life around after getting out of prison. 

Cornell Henry was an inmate at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre who died after being assaulted by two other inmates in his cell. 

Homicides in Saskatoon were down in 2017, from 10 in 2016. But for the families and friends of the victims, the numbers don't mean anything; the pain is still there. 

Tyler Applegate 

Tyler Applegate was a handyman with five children. (Submitted photo)

Tyler Applegate was fatally shot after confronting a Terror Squad gang member who had been caught urinating on his backyard fence on July 22. 

Applegate left behind a large family — five children and gaggle of nieces and nephews. His killer is still at large. 

"They didn't have the right to do what they did to him. He didn't deserve this, at all. His five kids don't deserve this," his sister, Selina Applegate, told CBC in the wake of the killing. 

The family said Applegate worked as a drywaller and a mechanic and was an all-around handyman.

Tyler Morin 

Selfie
Tyler Morin was shot the stomach on Nov. 4. (Facebook)

Tyler Morin was working hard to leave behind the life of crime, drugs and gangs that had defined him. 

Morin was shot in the stomach on Nov. 4. He died in hospital weeks later. 

"He was a struggling young man who wanted to do well, who didn't want that lifestyle anymore — and his whole family was involved in gangs, so he wanted to move on," said Str8 Up founder Father André Poilièvre. 

Poilièvre worked with Morin in the gang prevention program for years. 

Morin had left his former gang but was still fighting with his addiction, and he was contemplating enrolling in a treatment program, Poilièvre said.

At the time of the shooting, police said they believed the victim knew the shooter but that a suspect had not been identified.

Bailey Lonechild 

A family member says Bailey Lonechild would often record his own songs and post them online. (Facebook)

Bailey Lonechild would often record his own music and put the songs on Facebook for people to hear. 

At the time of his killing on Jan. 17, a family member said Bailey was "a caring person" who "always put everybody before himself."

Lonechild, 29, was found in a home on the 100 block of Avenue M South after he was stabbed. He died in hospital. 

Police later arrested 25-year-old Curtis Kevin Morin and charged him with second-degree murder.

Rodney Wailing

Rodney Wailing was found severely injured in a home in Pleasant Hill just after midnight on Jan. 11, 2017.

Rodney Wailing was found severely injured in a home in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood just after midnight on Jan. 11. 

He was suffering from a serious beating and later died in hospital. 

Daniel Forest turned himself into police a short while later. He is set to stand trial at the Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatoon. 

Cornell Henry

Cornell Henry was an inmate at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre when he died after being assaulted by two other inmates in his cell. 

A spokesperson at the time said the assault likely happened sometime after breakfast, when the cells were unlocked. 

Two men, who were not Henry's cell mates, have been charged with aggravated assault in connection with the incident.

Police say the investigation is being treated as a homicide, but so far no charges have been laid.