Manitoba RCMP Major Crime Services are reporting that investigators have laid charges in the 2022 homicide of James Vernon Giesbrecht.
Giesbrecht’s remains were located the same day he was murdered – October 13, 2022. On the outskirts of the City of Brandon, in the RM of Corwallis, unidentifiable human remains were discovered in the trunk of a burned 2007 Honda Accord. RCMP investigators worked with a Forensic Anthropologist and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to identify the remains and a determine a cause of death. It was determined that Giesbrecht did not die as a result of the fire.
In December 2022, Giesbrecht was reported missing. In January of 2023, Giesbrecht was identified as the victim through the use of the National Forensics Lab, and RCMP also knew at that point that Giesbrecht’s death was a homicide.
Investigators determined the Accord was stolen out of Regina and were able to identify the person responsible for stealing the vehicle, who was not involved in any way in the homicide. It was learned possession of the stolen vehicle changed to one of the suspects.
With the information investigators had, RCMP put out several pleas to the public for assistance. Valuable information was received from the public, and RCMP criminal analysts worked diligently to find linkages to the suspects.
Working with the invaluable assistance of the Brandon Police Service, on September 11, 2023, three males were arrested for Giesbrecht’s murder.
RCMP report that 28-year-old Redstone Wombdiska was arrested at Headingely Correctional Centre and charged with first degree murder. 36-year-old Joseph Lindsay was arrested at Stony Mountain Institution and also charged with first degree murder. 40-year-old Christopher Cutlip was arrested at the Brandon Correctional Centre and charged with second degree murder.
Police noted that no other individuals are being sought in relation to this homicide.
“From a policing perspective, this is a strong result – first degree murder charges are very serious and carry a heavy burden of proof,” said Superintendent Rob Lasson, Officer in Charge of RCMP Manitoba Major Crime Services. “We couldn’t have got here without the assistance of the Brandon Police Service and the public. The investigation would not have been solved without the public’s assistance because they got involved – they offered tips and provided statements. Also, our investigators never wavered in their dedication to tracking down those who committed a brutal and planned murder, and I thank them.”
The three accused remain in custody.
