Former Officer Claims Murder File Shredded By Then Chief Of Police
By Robert Thomas
The missing evidence and file relating to a still unsolved murder dating back 45 years were allegedly destroyed by a former chief of police.
That is the word of a retired member of the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) familiar with the case.
Speaking under condition of anonymity to MJ Independent the former long-time member of the Moose Jaw Police (now known as the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS)) alleged the files and evidence surrounding the murder of Dr Elizabeth (Isabelita “Beth”) Joven were destroyed by former Chief Bill Mitchell.
Dr Joven, was a well known local pediatrician who was brutally murdered in the early morning hours of November 11, 1976.
One individual - Ann Schepens - was charged and following a mistrial later acquitted by a jury in a re-trial of the case. Officially the case remains oen.
“Yes one of the murder files Mitchell shredded was the Joven case,” he said, adding “you should be able to figure that out yourself” when asked what he thought was the former Chief’s motivation.
The former officer, who retired years ago, spoke to MJ Independent after being approached with archival material which referenced two officers testifying at Mitchell’s appeal of dismissal. MJ Independent agreed to the former officer’s anonymity request in order to get him to speak causally about events which occurred decades ago.
The former officer requested anonymity so as not to get “caught up in that circus” surrounding the Joven murder case and its aftermath. He also admitted he was “no friend” to the former chief and had voted against him in a no confidence vote the rank and file officers conducted. (See news clipping at the end of the article).
At the time of Mitchell’s dismissal hearing two unidentified police officers stated they had witnessed Mitchell shredding documents. The same media reports also stated the Moose Jaw Police were missing several files including two active murder files. (See news clipping below).
Story published by the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix - March 3, 1993
MJ Independent was additionally also able to confirm through a reliable civilian source questions had been asked approximately 30 years ago about the whereabouts of the files and evidence from the Joven murder case and they were missing at that time.
The fact that the Joven murder evidence was missing was made public after it was discovered as a result of a 2018 Freedom Of Information (FOI) request by MJ Independent.
The FOI documents revealed a MJPS member was looking for the Joven murder file but was unable to locate the file.
After being unable to locate the file the officer went to the Court of Queen’s Bench in Moose Jaw where he had copies of the trial transcript made and added them as a file retained by the MJPS in the case. The original file and evidence has never been located.
An additional spin-off result from the FOI request was during the October 20th meeting of the Board Of Moose Jaw Police Commissioners, where Chief Rick Bourassa laid out the reasons for the dismissal of long-time Constable Alan Murdock, a senior member of the MJPS said the same FOI helped set off the investigation into and dismissal of Constable Alan Murdock.
The murder of Dr Joven is featured in the book Moose Jaw Murders and Other Deaths by amateur historian Bruce Fairman.
In an August 2018 telephone interview Fairman said he had reviewed the court transcript and then spoken to the MJPS about it as part of his research into the book.
Asked at the time why he thought Schepens was guilty of the grisly murder Fairman replied “because the cops says she was.”
From reports published by the Regina Leader-Post about his dismissal and subsequent appeal Chief Mitchell was described as a close friend of former Inspector and mayor Stan Montgomery. Mitchell served as Chief from 1989 to 1992 when Montgomery lost his re-election bid to Don Mitchell.
Mitchell was appointed as chief of police after the election of Montgomery. Montgomery was the lead investigator in the Joven murder case.
At the time many in the community - including former Mayor Herb Taylor, questioned the motivation for moving Mitchell into the top role with the police. Mitchell was a sergeant at the time he was catapulted to the role of chief of police over top of deputy and acting chief Merv Schenk.
Mitchell and Montgomery would both deny the Mitchell’s promotion to chief had anything to do with their close friendship according to published reports from the time.
A January 1993 Regina Leader Post article into the Bill Mitchell hiring controversy
As a member of the Moose Jaw Police Montgomery was a lead investigator into the Joven murder case and was seen by many in the community as a main reason for Schepens never being convicted because of an error in his testimony under questioning from defence attorney Merv Nidesh at the initial Moose Jaw trial.
The judge in that case would declare a mistrial with Schepens later being acquitted by a jury in Saskatoon following a successful change of venue application.
A Regina Leader Post article detailing a non-confidence vote against for Police Chief Bill Mitchell
Former Chief of Police Bill Mitchell is now deceased with former Mayor Stan Montgomery a long-term nursing home resident and unable to comment.
Mitchell was never found negligent nor acting contrary to Saskatchewan policing regulations in effect at that time. But his dismissal was part of a larger cost cutting measure instituted by the City of Moose Jaw. The cost cutting measures came about after the then NDP provincial government cut costs and transfers to municipalities after the defeating the Grant Devine government and the debt that Administration left behind.
Merv Nidesh who served as Ann Schepens defense attorney during her initial trial politely declined comment on the matter.
EDITOR’S NOTE - Officially the Joven murder case remains an active investigation.
Other than Ann Schepens the Moose Jaw Police have never charged another suspect with Dr Joven’s murder. If you have any information related to this case please contact Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1 - 800 - 222 - 8477.
It also should be noted at the time of Chief Mitchell’s dismal the author of this story was an employee with a now defunct local newspaper which was looking into some of the issues surrounding Police Chief Bill Mitchell at the time.