Kidnapping and 1st-degree murder charges laid almost 11 years after Sask. man goes missing

More than a decade after Edward "Ted" Keith Geddes was last seen, two men are facing kidnapping and first-degree murder charges in relation to his death.

RCMP said the two suspects were known to Geddes.

People last saw the then-64-year-old in April 2011 in the Baldwinton area, close to the Alberta border almost 70 kilometres west of North Battleford.

Officers who went to his home inBaldwinton that April almost 11 years ago found Geddes' dog dead in the entranceway. ThatRCMP visit was part of an unrelated incident, according to police.

The dog had not died from natural causes, RCMP said.

Investigation efforts renewed in 2021, says RCMPinspector

When Geddes could not be found, officers started a missing person investigation, said Insp. Josh Graham, acting officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes, in a media release on Wednesday.

"Ted's disappearance was believed to be suspicious in nature shortly after," he said.

The Saskatchewan RCMP'shistorical case and major crimes units renewed the investigation in 2021,leading to the charges.

Officers arrested two men, both from the Baldwinton area, on Sunday.

Robert "Bob" Welsey Pichis charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping with a firearmand careless use of a firearm.

John Robert Gregoire is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping with a firearmand indecently interfering with human remains.

Both men appeared in the North Battleford Provincial Court on Tuesday morning and are scheduled to return on March 8, according to police.

Police said officers executed search warrantsTuesday at a rural property outside of Baldwinton. Residents can expect an increased police presence in the area on Wednesday.

"This investigation is still ongoing because Ted has not been located," Graham said."We want to bring that closure to his family, so our investigators will continue to work."