A photo of Dylan Chretien, released by police at the time of his disappearance. (Prince Albert Police Service)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Second person sentenced in Dylan Chretien murder

Jan 5, 2022 | 3:12 PM

A man described as a follower, has received a one year jail sentence for the role he played in the murder of a Lloydminster man in Prince Albert in late 2019.

Max Moostoos, 29, appeared Wednesday at Prince Albert Provincial Court by video. His lawyer entered guilty pleas on his behalf to obstruction of justice, and arson.

Dylan Chretien was reported missing on Nov. 2, 2019 and found deceased just over a month later. His death was determined to be the result of foul play, and his mother previously revealed to paNOW her son had come to Prince Albert the week prior after agreeing to help give a female friend a ride from Lloydminster to Prince Albert.

According to the statements of facts read in court last month at the sentencing hearing for Brandon Daniels (one of the six co-accused), Chretien had driven the friend to a known “crack house” in the 600 block of 28th Street E. He then stayed there with the occupants, after his friend had left with someone else. The friend was later arrested on an unrelated matter.

At some point, the gang members asked Chretien to go get Chinese food providing him with a fraudulent credit card. He was also asked to withdraw $100.

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Chretien returned with the Chinese food and then left again, only to receive a text message a short time later inquiring where the cash was. When Chretien returned to the house, he was taken into a back bedroom and viciously assaulted.

While still conscious, and covered in blood, he was then taken in a vehicle and left for dead in a field northwest of the city near the Saskatchewan Penitentiary. Police would later locate the body using the last known location on his phone. The pathologist could not determine the cause of death, however found evidence of multiple stab wounds, blunt force trauma to the head, and signs of ligature strangulation.

On Wednesday Crown lawyer Gail Douglas explained Moostoos had initially come to the apartment to get drugs, but was ordered to stay to help clean up the mess. Moostoos later gave two statements to police, describing a horrific scene he was ordered to clean up using paper towels and a javex soaked mop.

“Someone was trying to say it was a finger, and the other was trying to say to was an arm, but there was too much blood in there,” he told police.

In addition to removing evidence in the bedroom, months later Moostoos, also set a fire in a garbage bin near the house, where some of the evidence had allegedly been dumped.

“They were supposed to burn the house down, but Max said I thought we were just burning the bin,” Douglas read to the court.

Chetien’s jacket was according to Moostoos, later found and tossed into a dumpster behind Carlton manor. (Prince Albert Police Service)

Currently in custody on an unrelated matter, Moostoos was scheduled for early release on March 4. The one year sentence for arson will take effect on the day. He also received a one year sentence for the second obstruction charge, but that will run concurrently.

His lawyer told the court Moostoos has parted ways with the gang, and was deeply remorseful for what happened, adding he neither knew Chretien or what had happened to him.

Prior to agreeing to the joint submission presented to him, Judge Morin cautioned Moostoos that all decisions have consequences, and encouraged Moostoos to focus on staying on a better path – one where he could be a good role parent for his two children.

“If I could say this Mr. Moostoos, the decisions you have made are certainly going to impact you for the rest of your life,” he said.

Brandon Daniels, another of the “soldiers” on clean up duty, received a 12-month conditional sentence, meaning he’ll stay out of jail as long as he can abide by a number of conditions.

The 26-year-old was initially charged with accessory to murder after the fact, but would enter a guilty plea to obstruction of justice. The Crown has indicated that three others are facing resolution “shortly.”

Also included with the evidence read by Douglas, was one of the people who assaulted Chretien, was killed in early 2021. Tyson Lafonde was reportedly stabbed by a fellow inmate, while in custody at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell