Update:
Derrick Phazar Whitford was arrested by the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit on Feb. 7.
He will be taken before a Justice of the Peace concerning his detention and future court date.
Original story:
The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit have laid charges in the reported November 2024 homicide on O’Chiese First Nation. RCMP have determined the victim to be 18-year-old O’Chiese First Nation resident Travis Strawberry.
As a result of the investigation, on January 28th, 2025, RCMP charged O’Chiese First Nation resident Derrick Phazar Whitford (27) with second-degree murder.
Whitford was wanted on several unrelated offences, including Breach of Probation, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Flight from Peace Officer, Robbery, and several firearm related offences.
Attempts to locate Whitford by the Alberta RCMP Major Crimes, Rocky Mountain House RCMP and other support services had negative results. Whitford was suspected to be in the area of O’Chiese First Nation or Sunchild First Nation, and had ties to the Red Deer and Edmonton areas.
He was known to use the names Sunny, Sonny, Derrick Dumais, and Derrick Whitford-Dumais, or a combination.
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