Wesley Custer, 20, died Aug. 21 at Shellbrook Hospital and the person/ persons responsible have not been caught, (Submitted photo/ Lee Badger)

By Nigel Maxwell

Unsolved cases

Shellbrook homicide victim remembered as kind hearted, and proud father

Aug 28, 2020 | 5:00 PM

As RCMP investigate a man’s death this week at Shellbrook Hospital, people who were close to him in more recent years are describing him as a young man with a big heart, who was mixed up with the wrong people.

Wesley Custer, 20, was dropped off at the hospital on Aug. 21 with serious injuries, and died shortly after. Custer’s older sister Lee Badger told paNOW she is feeling very lost without her baby brother.

“I found out the 22nd through a Facebook post and I went into shock. I didn’t want to believe it,” Badger said, adding when she last spoke to her brother only three days prior, he seemed happy.

In addition to two siblings, Custer also leaves behind two young children, a son and a daughter. Police have not said what the motive may have been for, but Badger believes it was gang related.

“I don’t want to say he was in or out [of the gang] but I know it’s related,” she said.

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A photo taken of Custer with his two young children. (Submitted photo/ Lee Badger)

Bob Fitzpatrick, the director in charge at the Valley Hill Youth Treatment Centre in Prince Albert, knew Custer’s family, and worked with Custer himself, when he was receiving treatment at the centre in 2016 and 2017.

“He was a very polite, young gentleman like for all the stuff that he went through and you know he was kind hearted and followed directions, and if he needed to be emotional, he would be,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick explained Custer did not have a lot of close friends to turn to and suffered a huge loss during his time in treatment when his mom passed away.

“He was really close to his mom. His mom was good to him,” he said.

Fitzpatrick recalled his most recent interaction with Custer about a month ago, and explained Custer had been in the hospital the night prior, after getting beat up.

“These guys get tied up into these gangs and they don’t realize these guys are not their friends.They call them family but they are not family,” he said.

Fitzpatrick said he was never able to talk to Custer about his involvement with gangs, adding he heard Custer was beat up because he was wearing the wrong “colours.”

Custer’s funeral has been scheduled to take place this weekend at Denare Beach, and he will be laid to rest beside his mother, overlooking the lake. Fitzpatrick, who plans to attend the funeral, said the death of the young man is a big loss.

“He was really proud of his kids like when they had their first one, they came to the centre and they kept in contact with us. It’s just sad.”

The RCMP Major Crimes Unit has asked for the publics assistance identifying who brought Custer to the hospital between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. A spokesperson for the Sask. Health Authority has confirmed there are cameras at the hospital.

Anyone with information about who was with Custer the day of his death or in the days prior, or who may have observed any suspicious activity around the Shellbrook Hospital on the night of Aug. 21, is asked to call Shellbrook RCMP at (306) 747-2606.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell