On the night of October 16, 2024, around 10:30 p.m., Battlefords RCMP responded to a report of a serious injury outside a business on the 900 block of 101st Street in North Battleford.

When officers and EMS arrived at the scene, they found an injured woman who was taken to hospital, where she died of her injuries. The victim has been identified as 63-year-old Pearl Benson of Red Pheasant First Nation.

Following an extensive investigation, Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes arrested a suspect on April 11, 2025. The individual, an adult male, was taken into custody at a correctional facility in Manitoba.

As a result of further investigation, 22-year-old Billy Leon from Toronto, Ontario, has been charged with Second-Degree Murder under Section 235(1) of the Criminal Code, as well as Failing to Comply with a Release Order under Section 145(2).

Leon is scheduled to appear in North Battleford Provincial Court on April 24, 2025.