‘Not the end’: Saskatchewan RCMP puts in charge of 2006 party murder case

REGINA — Lorne Pavelick waited 6,246 days to find out who may be responsible for his son’s murder at a high school party.

Pavelick read that number on Tuesday, after RCMP announced a second-degree murder charge 17 years after Misha Pavelick’s death.

The father said it was a long wait, but he remains grateful.

“We, as a family, realize that this is not the end — just the beginning of the end,” he told a news conference.

“And it renews our hope for justice for our precious Misha.”

Sergeant Major Darryl Milo, the officer in charge of the Saskatchewan RCMP historical case unit, said Mounties cannot name the suspect because he was a youth at the time. He is now 34.

Agents have been investigating Pavelick’s death since he was killed over the May long weekend in 2006.

Pavelick, 19, was stabbed when a fight broke out at a high school camping party near Regina Beach, north of the county seat.

“The question – who killed Misha Pavelick? — has haunted many as family, friends, the public and our own investigators sought justice,” Milo said. “Since then, investigators have committed to working diligently to make an arrest in this case, press charges, and hold someone accountable for Misha’s death.”

Milo declined to comment on the evidence leading up to the charges, noting that it is now in court.

He said there were about 200 people at the party and officers conducted 200 formal interviews.

The investigation involved more than 100 officers from across the province, Milo said, adding that Alberta also assisted RCMP.

In 2021, Saskatchewan RCMP had created a podcast about the case in an effort to get more tips.

Milo said the podcast led to 20 additional tips as people with knowledge of the matter were more willing to share information after it aired.

“There were younger people there,” he said of those at the party. “It is possible that some of them were reluctant to provide information when they were 17 or 18 years old themselves. And now, 17 years later, (they) may have more sense of urgency or inclination to do what they think is right.

Milo said the suspect was arrested on Saturday. He appeared in court on Monday and will appear for a second time on July 17.

He said the family’s cooperation has been integral.

“I can’t imagine how difficult these past 17 years have been as you waited for answers after the tragic loss of Misha,” he said.

He also thanked the officers for not giving up despite the passage of time.

“The public will now be able to see this case and its details during the court proceedings,” Milo said.

Lorne Pavelick thanked the researchers.

“They never stopped communicating with us and sharing what they could,” said the father. “So many of them offer their commitment, courage, humility and sometimes frustration – but only rarely.”

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 27, 2023.

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