Deputy Chief Randy Huisman gives an update on the search for Dawn Walker, who disappeared from Saskatoon in late July with her son. The two were discovered in Oregon City. According to the Saskatoon Police Service, Walker is now facing charges of parental kidnapping and public mischief in Canada, as well as charges in the US related to using a fake passport. Photo taken in Saskatoon, SK on Monday, August 8, 2022. Photo by Matt Smith /Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Content of the article

US authorities arrested Dawn Walker as a flight risk after her first court appearance in Portland, Oregon on Monday.

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Pending further court proceedings, Walker will remain in custody, a spokesman for the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon said via email. US authorities and Saskatoon city police have charged Walker in connection with her disappearance with her seven-year-old son Vincent Jansen in July. “As part of an elaborate and well thought-out plan, the defendant, a Canadian national, kidnapped her child and, after faking her and her son’s deaths, fled to the United States,” the U.S. Attorney wrote in court documents. requesting her detention. “The defendant has every incentive to try to flee to avoid the consequences of his crime.” Police said they were found at a rental unit in Oregon City around 11:30 a.m. Friday. Walker is a prominent author and top official at the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, whose disappearance drew national attention as police searched the South Saskatchewan River in hopes of finding her and the child. Saskatoon Deputy Police Chief Randy Huisman said Walker crossed into Montana from southern Alberta. He could not indicate the time or any of the other steps Walker took to leave Saskatchewan after she was last seen in the city on July 22. Jansen’s legal guardian went to Oregon on Friday and returned to Saskatchewan on Sunday with the boy, Huisman said. Saskatoon police are consulting with the Crown in Saskatchewan to arrange Walker’s future extradition to Canada, a police news release said.

Advertising 3

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

The US Department of Homeland Security brought two charges. The first is a felony charge for making false statements while using a passport. The second is a misdemeanor charge of possessing an identification document knowing it to be stolen or produced without lawful authority. In Canada, he is charged with public nuisance and parental abduction in violation of a custody order. A legal defense fund attributed to Idle No More has been started to raise $60,000 on Walker’s behalf. “Many Indigenous women feel helpless within the current justice system and this is when they need strong support,” the campaign page states. Walker’s supporters held a rally in Saskatoon on Sunday to draw attention to what they called the “root causes” behind her condition. As the criminal investigation progresses, he may face further charges, possibly related to forged identity documents, Huisman said at a press conference on Monday. FSIN Vice President Heather Bear had previously indicated that Walker had experienced domestic violence and police confirmed they had received reports of this nature. Huisman said the story “may or may not play into this investigation,” but also that “potential or any prior complaints by Dawn Walker were thoroughly investigated and no charges resulted as a result of those investigations.” Saskatoon police delved into past relationships, phone and bank records, Huisman noted. “We followed the trail of evidence. From the moment she was reported missing, we started a missing persons investigation and then the leads led us to where we are today. … When we start seeing anomalies, we started looking in that direction.”

Advertising 4

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Content of the article

Police are also investigating whether anyone helped Walker in her disappearance. Officers are still determining whether Oregon was Walker’s final destination or if she planned to move on, Huisman added. The cost of the extensive two-week search of the South Saskatchewan River by land, air and water is “significant,” but it has not been determined whether Walker will be held responsible for any of those costs, he said. The news seems to be flying at us faster and faster. From COVID-19 updates to politics and crime and everything in between, it can be hard to keep up. With that in mind, the Saskatoon StarPhoenix created one Afternoon headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox to make sure you’re up to date with the most important news of the day. Click here to register.

Share this article on your social network

This ad hasn’t loaded yet, but your article continues below.

We deliver the local news you need in these hectic times weekdays at 3pm By clicking the subscribe button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for subscribing!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. The next issue of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix Afternoon Headlines will be in your inbox soon. We encountered a problem with your registration. PLEASE try again

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles.  Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site.  We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful.  We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update on a comment thread you’re following, or if someone follows the comments.  Visit the Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to customize your email settings.