Trial underway in Cochin-area homicide investigation

When Sowers first arrived at the farm at about 10 a.m., he said he visited the farm house where Gordon lived. He called Gordon’s name but there was no one home. Sowers then went to the garage where he noticed the floor appeared to have been recently washed, and smelled of cleaning solution.

Sowers then drove to a second house on the property where Joshua lived, and noticed “every door and window was barricaded either with a screen or bar over it.” He entered the garage, then had to kick in the inside door leading to the house to get inside.

“I forced my way in because I was concerned about Gordon’s wellbeing,” he said.

When inside, Sowers noticed a mattress on the floor in the hallway, and in the bedroom a large hole cut in the ceiling, above where a bed would normally be located. He also saw a power-cable cut in half in the vicinity. No one was in the house at the time.

Sowers then went to a quonset on the property where he saw a parked tractor with its bucket positioned in the air. When he looked inside the bucket he noticed some water and blood.

He said it had been raining overnight to justify the water, but was worried when he saw the blood.

“That definitely got me concerned,” he said.

Sowers then headed to a shed after seeing a path in the grass. A board was jammed at the door, and he noticed blood. He removed the board and saw a human foot sticking out from under a tarp. After pulling back the cover he saw the body identified as Gordon Tucker underneath, at about 11:50 a.m. He said it appeared Gordon had been dragged to the spot as his pants were partly pulled down.

“It was obvious he was moved to the location,” Sowers said.

In North Battleford, Joshua Tucker visited the RCMP detachment on May 31, 2018, at about 9:30 a.m. asking for assistance.

Crown witnesses, RCMP Cpl. (now Sgt.) Adam Buckingham and Cst. Kaelen Blacklock, described the incident when they each took the stand.

Buckingham said Joshua asked to have the police watch his farm property for surveillance but not go on it. He said he needed protection. Buckingham said Joshua wore dark sunglasses, and when he took them off at times his eyes appeared red, as though he may have been crying. He said Joshua wanted to go to the hospital for a CT scan and blood-work. Buckingham said Joshua also said his house was bugged and that the police were corrupt. Joshua asked Buckingham to phone his mother Kim, who Buckingham learned was in B.C. at the time.

Blacklock said Joshua appeared emotional and suicidal at the detachment. She said at one point he punched the wall in the interview room, aggressively. Blacklock said he pointed at an officer’s firearm. He said he wished he could shoot himself in the head with it. She said Joshua also indicated he wished there were more sanitizer wipes in the interview room to hang himself. RCMP officers were sent to take him to hospital to be assessed. He went freely.

“I was worried he needs to be assessed under the Mental Health Act as he was having some mental health issues,” Blacklock said.

The trial continues Dec. 15.

–

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Trial underway in Cochin-area homicide investigation

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