Man responsible for disposing of guns after Midtown shooting granted time served

The back story

In the early morning hours of Dec. 6, 2021, Henry, along with Daniel Oliver and Riley Primeau, went to a Midtown-area home. One of the men accompanying Henry had been warning people that others were coming over to cause trouble over a drug debt. This was in turn shared with the two men who were already present at the residence – Kyle Burns and Raine Farrow.

“Jackson Henry was not privy to this information,” Blackman said, adding Henry’s sole reason for going to the home was to party and buy some drugs.

Later that morning, Byron Bear and others arrived in a white Chrysler, and soon after Bear was observed on the home’s security camera smashing out the back window of the car left parked in the driveway. He then proceeded to dump gasoline into the car.

That’s when the men inside the house, having armed themselves with various guns, began firing shots from the back doorway of the home. Henry was not among those to fire or even handle any of the guns.

During the subsequent exchange of gunfire between the men who had pulled up, and the people shooting from the home’s back steps, Bear was fatally shot in the head.

Byron Bear. (Facebook)

After the white car drove away, Bear’s lifeless body was located behind the car in the driveway and soon after loaded into the trunk.

Henry, who had fled from the home after the shooting to a friend’s house, and was not aware someone had been shot, was handed a bag of guns that had been wiped clean of fingerprints which he tossed at a nearby alley.

“Get rid of these (expletive) guns,” Kyle Burns told him, according to Crown Prosecutor Shawn Blackman.

Henry later met up with Raine Farrow and Daniel Oliver at a house in the city’s west flat and together they drove to Saskatoon. Near Rosthern, Bear’s body was dumped and according to Blackman, Henry – who had no knowledge there was a body in the trunk – thought they were pulling over so someone could urinate.

Upon reaching Saskatoon, they first stopped at a gas station and Henry was instructed to buy duct tape to patch the window that had been smashed.

The three-some then drove to a residence on Saskatoon’s east side, leaving the car parked in the street. It was later reported to and impounded by Saskatoon police. There was a pool of blood in the trunk and a powerful smell of gasoline.

From Saskatoon, Oliver and Henry took a taxi back to Prince Albert.

A picture taken at the time of the incident. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

Bear was reported missing on Dec. 6 and it would be 63 days before his body was found. Raine Farrow would later be the one to tell police where they could find the remains.

“This case was particularly, challenging and complex from an evidentiary point of view, and while at the end of the day the Honourable Court recognized and confirmed the individual role Jackson Henry played during the evening that Byron Bear’s life was tragically taken, what remains is that Byron Bear’s family and friends continue to endure an insufferable loss and no sentence can ameliorate that loss,” Blackman told paNOW.

Noting Jackson has no criminal record beyond a conviction in Saskatoon for impaired driving, defense lawyer Patrick McDougall reiterated his client’s minimal role consisted not of firing any guns, but being told to get rid of the used weapons.

“This is obviously a serious tragedy,” he said, stating Henry was not a gangster, but did have addictions issues related to cocaine and alcohol.

Further noting how Henry had previously testified at the trials for Daniel Oliver and Kyle Burns, McDougall stated Henry’s story has never changed.

“He’s told the same story since the day he was arrested,’ McDougall added. “He got out of there because he was afraid of what was going on.”

When provided the opportunity in court to speak, Jackson Henry stood in the prisoner’s box and apologized to the victim’s family.

“I got in a vehicle with the wrong guys and I got myself in a bad situation,” he admitted.

Also present in the courtroom were Bear’s mother, grandmother, great aunt, and a representative from victim’s services. As she has done already on multiple occasions, Byron’s mother Shirley read a powerful and emotional victim impact statement, describing the impact of losing her son, while also discussing her own healing journey and need to find forgiveness in order to move on.

“No words can explain how hard it is,” she said.

What’s next?

In January, Raine Farrow entered a guilty plea to manslaughter. He was the owner of the car, and had assisted with the disposal of Bear’s body. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March 13.

Riley Primeau was sentenced last February and after entering a guilty plea to manslaughter received an eight-year prison term. Kyle Burns was acquitted of second degree murder and the lesser offence of manslaughter.

Daniel Oliver’s trial was held in November and a verdict is expected in April.

Through testimony heard during the various trials, it’s been alleged Oliver was the one who owed the drug debt and may have also been the one to take the fatal shot.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Man responsible for disposing of guns after Midtown shooting granted time served

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