BATTLEFORD – A known Westside Outlawz street gang member was sentenced to nine years in prison Monday in Battleford Court of King’s Bench in the death of 54-year-old Bradley John Ham on Nov. 25, 2020.
Jonathan Christopher Swiftwolfe, now 29, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. He was originally charged with first-degree murder.
“It’s a cowardly act to shoot someone and leave him to die,” said Justice John Morrall when sentencing Swiftwolfe. “It’s callous and I would call it cowardly.
“Meth, gangs and guns is unfortunately leading you to basically every problem you have in life,” said Justice Morrall. “You know that and I think everyone here knows that.
“I understand where your anger comes from,” added Justice Morrall. “You have been through the ringer. Being involved in group homes and the lack of family support it’s not surprising you are where you are. It’s unfortunate, but some people are able to be where you are and not have a manslaughter on record.”
Justice Morrall told Swiftwolfe that with help from STR8UP, which he has sought, he hopes he can turn his life around and not spend the rest of it in penitentiaries.
"That's the only thing that will keep you alive. Staying in the penitentiary, Saskatchewan or Drumheller, you have constant gang battles there and you have constant stabbings. I hope you get yourself away from all of those things.
"There's no point on giving you a long lecture," added Justice Morrall. "You know what you need to do. You either live or you die, depending on what you do."
Ham was seen with Swiftwolfe and Fox
Court heard that Ham was released from jail in October 2020 and left Saskatoon in a blue Honda Civic.
“Ham was last seen by various friends in North Battleford days prior to Nov. 25, 2020,” said Senior Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt. “Jonathan Swiftwolfe was seen driving the blue Honda with Bradley Ham in the front passenger seat and Cassandra Fox in the rear passenger seat. They were selling drugs.”
Ham's body was found along a farm lane on a dead-end road, about 30 kilometres east of Glaslyn in the R. M. of Medsted on Nov. 27, 2020. He died from loss of blood from a gunshot wound, hypothermia and shock. His cause of death was gunshot wounds to his legs.
“The circumstances are callous,” Schmidt told the court. “Ham was shot in the leg and left at the end of a deserted road in the dead of winter.”
The autopsy revealed that it’s possible Ham was shot twice, but it’s more likely one bullet went through his right thigh and entered his lower left leg. The bullet fractured bones, preventing Ham from being able to walk.
After Ham was shot, Swiftwolfe and Fox arrived at her sister’s apartment in Swift Current around noon on Nov. 25, 2020. They drove there in the blue Honda Civic that Ham was previously driving.
Swiftwolfe carried a rifle into the building. He left the rifle, a bag and various cell phones at the apartment when he and Fox left. The Honda Civic was left in the parking lot of the building and they took Fox’s sister’s vehicle without permission.
The Honda Civic was seized by police. There was a large concentration of pooling blood inside the car. The DNA matched Ham’s. There was evidence of attempts to clean up the blood, Schmidt told the court.
A pair of gloves was found in the car. Ham’s blood was found on the outside and Swiftwolfe’s DNA was found on the inside of the palm of the right glove. The glove also tested positive for gunshot residue.
A spent casing was located by police at the scene where Ham’s body was found and it matched the rifle that Swiftwolfe had left at the apartment in Swift Current.
Schmidt said that Ham wasn’t involved in gangs but sold drugs in the area.
Days after Ham was killed, Swiftwolfe sent texts to the mother of his children saying that he had killed someone and had a dream that “Bradley forgave him.”
Trial presented challenges
Swiftwolfe’s trial was scheduled to start Feb. 26 and run until March 8. Instead, Schmidt and defence counsel Mike Nolin, entered a joint sentencing submission to the court on the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Justice Morrall accepted the joint sentencing submission.
"A sentence of nine years consecutive certainly puts it closer to the near murder range than the manslaughter range," he said.
It would have been a difficult prosecution, Schmidt told the court, adding that 70 per cent of civilian witnesses have died since Swiftwolfe’s arrest.
On Jan. 18, 2023, Swiftwolfe’s co-accused, Cassandra Fox, died in Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge. She had been sentenced on Nov. 21, 2022, to two years, six months and 29 days for accessory to murder in Ham’s death. She was originally charged with first-degree murder.
Another witness, believed to be in the car with Swiftwolfe and Fox at the time of Ham's death, was 25-year-old Alyssa Louise LeCaine from North Battleford. LeCaine, however, died in a house fire in North Battleford on Dec. 24, 2021. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Daphne Bear, 20, from Sweetgrass First Nation, also died in the house fire. Wade Frenchman has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of LeCaine and Bear in December 2021, as well as Tyler Mooswa of Moosomin First Nation on June 4, 2023. Photos Frenchman posted to social media show him wearing a black bandana, the typical colour worn by Terror Squad street gang.
Swiftwolfe has lengthy gang involvement
Swiftwolfe has a lengthy history of meth use and gang involvement, and was placed on a violent offender watch list, said Schmidt.
Nolin told the court that Swiftwolfe spent a number of years as a child in various group homes.
Swiftwolfe was taken away from his mother at about the age of eight or nine. His mother died recently.
When he was 14, his brother died in a vehicle crash. Swiftwolfe was there and the only sober person in the vehicle. After his brother died, his mother kicked him out of their home.
“That was the defining moment in Jonathan’s life,” said Nolin. “He talks about it and he just became angry and started looking at booze and drugs.”
Swiftwolfe bounced around group homes where he was abused. His mother wasn’t equipped to raise him and his father was recently sentenced to six years in prison.
“Both parents went to residential school,” said Nolin. “Both are members of Moosomin First Nation.”
Swiftwolfe lived off and on Moosomin First Nation and has been on his own from a young age with no family support.
“He wants to turn his life around and help with kids,” said Nolin.
Swiftwolfe asked his lawyer to connect him with STR8UP and is working towards removing his tattoos.
During his sentencing hearing Feb. 26, there was a striking difference between the Swiftwolfe standing before the judge and the accused who had appeared in court by CCTV in 2022 and 2023.
The contrast in his demeanor was noticeable. His once evident anger and arrogance appeared to have given way to a profound sense of sadness.
“He is remorseful and is looking forward to rebuilding his future,” said Nolin.
Swiftwolfe takes responsibility for being at the scene when Ham was killed and moving his body. Nolin said it isn’t certain he was the killer.
“There were two other people there. Cassandra Fox lost her own life at Willow Creek and Alyssa LeCaine was murdered in a tragic house fire in North Battleford. The only surviving person is Swiftwolfe.”
Nolin, however, pointed out that LeCaine spoke to police three times and denied being there.
Swiftwolfe’s life in danger in prison: Defence
Nolin told the court that Swiftwolfe will be killed if he isn’t transferred out of the prison system on the prairies, where gangs are prevalent, and moved to a prison in British Columbia.
“He is in a high-degree of danger.”
While incarcerated, there have been two attempts on Swiftwolfe’s life, said Nolin.
When he was in Drumheller Institution in Alberta, fentanyl was slipped into his drink and he almost died.
He was then transferred to Edmonton Institution and stabbed five times.
Before Swiftwolfe was sent to Drumheller, he was in Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert but the warden had asked that he be moved out of that prison.
There is an ongoing gang war between Westside Outlawz and Terror Squad street gangs that is occurring both on the streets and in the prisons, court heard.
Nolin told the court he suspects Swiftwolfe was stabbed at the Edmonton prison because of a targeted shooting that had occurred in Saskatoon.
Gallery empty
The gallery of Battleford Court of King’s Bench was empty for Swiftwolfe’s sentencing hearing on Feb. 26. No one was there for either the accused or the victim.
No victim impact statements were presented to the court on behalf of Ham.
“His mom is in assisted living,” said Schmidt, adding that the rest of his family didn’t provide a statement.
Ham’s mother has emailed and communicated several times with SASKTODAY.ca for more than a year asking for updates on Swiftwolfe’s charges in the death of her son.
Nine years consecutive to current sentence
Swiftwolfe will serve his nine year sentence consecutive to his current four-year prison sentence, which started in June 2021 and ends in August.
On June 25, 2021, Swiftwolfe had pleaded guilty to evading and fleeing from police, assault, uttering threats, dangerous driving and weapons-related offences.
Those charges stem from the incidents on Dec. 6, 2020, after Battleford RCMP and Moosomin First Nation issued a joint public safety warning saying Swiftwolfe was armed and dangerous.
This was just days after Ham was shot to death.
RCMP released Swiftwolfe’s photo and said he had the word “Westside” tattooed on his face. Westside is the name of a street gang that originated in Onion Lake.
During Swiftwolfe’s sentencing hearing in June 2021, Senior Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt told the court that Swiftwolfe drove as fast as 190 km/hour during the police pursuit. Due to Swiftwolfe’s violent nature police continued the pursuit, said Schmidt.
RCMP used a tire deflation device to stop Swiftwolfe at the Table Mountain turnoff on Highway 40 east of Sweetgrass First Nation, which is 35 kilometres west of North Battleford.
In the vehicle, officers found a loaded firearm within his reach, directly behind the driver’s seat. The rifle was modified to make it shorter.
Cassandra Fox was with Swiftwolfe and arrested. She was wanted at the time on warrants for assault with a weapon and failure to comply with a release order.
At the time, Swiftwolfe was wanted on warrants since April 2020. Court heard that in one incident, Swiftwolfe and his passenger chased another vehicle on a nearby First Nation and shot out the window at them. One person was shot but didn’t go to hospital for treatment.
On July 7, 2021, a month after Swiftwolfe was sentenced to four years in prison, he was arrested at Saskatchewan Penitentiary and charged with first-degree murder in Ham’s death.
On July 5, 2021, Fox was arrested at Pine Grove Correctional Centre and charged with first-degree murder in Ham’s death.
Prosecuting these cases difficult
The prosecutor’s role in these types of cases is difficult, said Senior Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt in an email to SASKTODAY.ca Tuesday.
“We are dealing with people at their worst moments, most of the time.
“There are many pressures on us,” she added. “We have a continuing obligation to assess files for reasonable likelihood of conviction and public interest. We need to bring cases to court in a timely manner.
“We need to balance the pain a victim’s family experiences from the offence with our role, which is to act in the public interest. We have to manage witnesses, who are often reluctant to come to court because they are afraid. We are often working with people who are dealing with their own mental health and addictions issues.”
In addition, getting transportation to court is often difficult for people.
“Bringing a case to trial, or a negotiated resolution like what occurred in this case, is a result of balancing all of those factors,” she added.
“I think that all prosecutors carry some pieces of the files that they work on with them after they are finished. I often say to victim’s families that I will carry their pain with me for the time that it takes to see the file concluded, but at the end of it, I have to set it down and move to the next file, and in many ways, I think that is a good analogy for the toll it takes on Prosecutors. For me, these are not just files. This is about real people whose lives are forever changed by what happened. Victims come to us with their own pain and grief, but we also have to mindful of the fact that an accused person comes before the court with a great deal of trauma and pain, too. It is my responsibility to be respectful of that."
Schmidt part of Major Case Assistance Unit
For Schmidt, the role of a prosecutor, and serving the community and province in a way that matters, is a great privilege.
“With that privilege comes a great deal of personal sacrifice in terms of being aware of potential personal safety issues and being mindful of the toll this work takes on my own relationships and mental health. I am fortunate to have a great deal of personal support."
The province recently launched the Major Case Assistance Unit, which is a group of senior crown prosecutors working together on high profile, difficult cases. Schmidt is a part of that unit.
“The resources that the Unit brings together are important for the work that we are able to do in the courtroom, but the Unit is also important for the peer support that it offers to the prosecutors who are a part of it,” said Schmidt.
Gangs drive the drug trade
Terror Squad and Westside Outlawz both have a heavy presence in the North West Region of the province, said Schmidt.
“It would be accurate to say that they drive a lot of the drug trade and violence that occurs in our region, both as individual gangs and against one another.”
STR8 UP helps gang members leave the lifestyle
STR8 UP is a grassroots non-profit organization that had helps gang members leave the lifestyle.
They offer outreach services and programs, provides advocacy and support in prisons and courtrooms, and connects former gang members with community supports and resources. They help gang members get out of the gang, return to school, get a job, find housing and stay out of prison.
If you are associated with a street gang and want to leave it, contact STR8 UP in northern Saskatchewan at 306-763-3001, STR8 UP in central Saskatchewan at 306-244-1771, or Regina Treaty Status Indian Services in southern Saskatchewan at 306-522-7494 to get assistance.
Timeline
-Nov. 27, 2020: Bradley John Ham’s body is found on an isolated rural road 30 kilometres east of Glaslyn in the R. M. of Medsted.
-Dec. 5, 2020: Several RCMP units, including Battlefords RCMP, the North Battleford RCMP Gang Task Force, the North Battleford RCMP Municipal General Investigation Section, the Sask. RCMP Crime Reduction Team (CRT) and other specialized support units, developed a coordinated plan to safely locate and arrest Jonathan Swiftwolfe.
-Dec. 5, 2020: Battleford RCMP and Moosomin First Nation issue a joint public safety warning saying Jonathan Swiftwolfe was armed and dangerous.
-Dec. 6, 2020: RCMP CRT and Battlefords RCMP locate Jonathan Swiftwolfe and Cassandra Fox in a stolen vehicle on Highway 40 near Sweetgrass First Nation. A pursuit follows with speeds up to 190 km/hr.
-June 25, 2021: Jonathan Swiftwolfe is sentenced to four years in prison on charges stemming from the Dec. 6, 2020, police pursuit and arrest.
-July 5, 2021: Cassandra Fox is arrested at Pine Grove Correctional Centre and charged with first-degree murder in Bradley Ham’s death.
-July 7, 2021: Jonathan Swiftwolfe is arrested at Saskatchewan Penitentiary and charged with first-degree murder in Bradley Ham’s death.
-Dec. 24, 2021: Alyssa LeCaine, who is believed to have been in the vehicle with Jonathan Swiftwolfe and Cassandra Fox at the time of Bradley Ham’s death, is murdered in a house fire in North Battleford.
-Nov. 21, 2022, Cassandra Fox is sentenced to two years, six months and 29 days for accessory to murder in Bradley Ham’s death. She was originally charged with first-degree murder.
-Jan. 18, 2023: Cassandra Fox dies in Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge.
Corrected to say Alyssa LeCaine died Dec. 24, 2021.
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