RCMP Breakthrough: $2-Million Probe Involved 200 Officers

2 FACE MURDER CHARGES OVER MAYERTHORPE

28 Months After 4 Mounties Were Gunned Down by James Roszko, Police
Accuse Two Men After Lengthy Undercover Investigation

A man who tearfully told The Globe and Mail he felt ill after hearing
of the deaths of four RCMP officers near Mayerthorpe, Alta., in 2005
is now charged with first-degree murder in connection to the case.

Shawn Hennessey, 28, and Dennis Cheeseman, 23, are each charged as
parties to the offences committed by James Roszko, a known criminal
with a history of threatening police, who shot the four officers
before taking his own life.

Alberta RCMP said yesterday the arrests were the result of a lengthy
undercover investigation into the darkest day in the force's history.

Mr. Hennessey, a married father of two, was identified as a person of
interest early on. Unproved allegations contained in search warrants
said Mr. Hennessey, who worked at a Kal Tire automotive shop in
nearby Barrhead, Alta., sold marijuana for Mr. Roszko, which he denied.

On March 2, 2005, RCMP were called to Mr. Roszko's farm to assist
bailiffs executing a civil court order. Mr. Roszko fled the property
in a pickup, and police found a marijuana grow operation and an
automotive chop shop. As police secured the property, several calls
were placed from Mr. Roszko's cellphone to Kal Tire and to the
cellphone assigned to Kal Tire's service truck. Mr. Roszko also
placed a call to his aunt that afternoon, and her call display showed
the name S. Hennessey.

The following morning, a heavily-armed Mr. Roszko returned to the
farm and killed the four officers with a high-powered semi-automatic
assault rifle. He then shot himself in the chest.

In 2006, Mr. Hennessey denied any links to the crime, saying he
didn't know why Mr. Roszko called him that day.

"I guess he didn't have any friends. I can't tell you why he called
me," he said.

One of the weapons Mr. Roszko was carrying that day was a rifle
registered to Mr. Hennessey's grandfather, which he said had been
stolen four months earlier. Mr. Hennessey said he didn't know how Mr.
Roszko got hold of the weapon.

"I've never been in a situation like this before," Mr. Hennessey told
The Globe a year ago, tears welling in his eyes.

"I've never been accused of such huge things. This is absolutely beyond me."

The RCMP said Mr. Hennessey was arrested without incident yesterday.
They refused to say how the two accused men are linked, nor would
they discuss their relationship to Mr. Roszko. They said both men are
"known to police," but would not say how they are known, or whether
they have criminal records. They would neither confirm nor deny
whether further arrests or charges are forthcoming.

Yesterday's arrests are a significant breakthrough for the force,
which has spent more than $2-million investigating the Mayerthorpe
killings and has deployed between 40 and 200 officers on this case since 2005.

The news came as a shock to Grace Johnston, mother of slain Constable
Leo Johnston, CTV reported last night.

"Oh my God. Oh my God," Ms. Johnston said. "In the pit of my stomach
I always knew there had to have been somebody else."

The announcement comes only days after intense scrutiny of the
appointment of William Elliott, a bureaucrat, to the post of RCMP
commissioner. The Mayerthorpe announcement, made in front of a
memorial to fallen officers, was overseen by Deputy Commissioner Bill
Sweeney, Superintendent of K Division, one of the senior uniformed
officers passed over for the commissioner's post.

The two accused will appear in court on July 12. They each face four
counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Constable Anthony
Gordon, Constable Johnston, Constable Brock Myrol and Constable Peter
Schiemann. The two men were not at the farm at the time of the shootings.

In making the announcement, the RCMP made reference to Section 21 of
the Criminal Code, which defines parties to offences.

The law says that anyone is a party to an offence who actually
commits it; does or omits to do anything for the purpose of aiding
any person to commit it; or abets any person in committing it.

The provincial government has called a fatality inquiry into the
circumstances leading to the deaths of the four officers, but it
cannot be convened until the ongoing criminal investigation is completed.

The RCMP said in a release yesterday that they have not implemented
any significant policy changes, nor have any disciplinary actions
been launched, as a result of the Mayerthorpe shootings.

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SHOOTINGS TIMELINE

March 2, 2005

afternoon: Bailiffs head to James Roszko's farm to execute a civil
order to seize a Ford truck.

3:30 p.m.: En route, the bailiffs contact Mayerthorpe RCMP for
assistance. When bailiffs arrive at the property, they find the gate
locked and a man believed to be Mr. Roszko departing in a white pick-up truck.

5:30 p.m.: Bailiffs search Mr. Roszko's property and find what
appears to be an automotive chop shop and a marijuana grow operation
in a Quonset hut. Additional support is brought in to secure the scene.

7:55 p.m.: Patrols begin to scour the area for Mr. Roszko.

11:30 p.m.: Constables Anthony Gordon and Leo Johnston are recalled
to guard the scene at the farm.

March 3, 2005

3:30 a.m.: Officials remove 280 marijuana plants from the property.

9:10 a.m.: Constable Peter Schiemann volunteers, on his way to
Edmonton to purchase supplies, to drop off Constable Brock Myrol at
the Roszko property to relieve Constable Gordon. Members of the
Edmonton auto-theft unit arrive at the Roszko property and see
Constables Gordon, Johnston, Myrol and Schiemann walking into the
Quonset hut. Moments later, gunfire is heard from inside the hut. Mr.
Roszko exits and fires shots at one of the auto-theft officers,
narrowly missing. The officer returns fire at Mr. Roszko, who returns
to the hut.

10:19 a.m.: The Emergency Response Team is called to the scene, as
are explosive units, police dogs and a helicopter.

2 p.m.: A remote-controlled robot, normally used by the
explosive-disposal unit, is sent into the hut.

2:15 p.m.: Emergency workers enter the hut and find the bodies of the
four RCMP officers and Mr. Roszko.

July 8, 2007

RCMP announce they've charged Dennis Cheeseman, 23, and Shawn
Hennessey, 28, with four counts of first-degree murder in connection
with the killings.

[sidebar]

EDITORIAL RESEARCH AND CP

RCMP Briefing documents

The RCMP took the unusual step of releasing its media briefing notes
along with the press release related to yesterday's announcement of
two arrests in the killings of four police officers near Mayerthorpe, Alta.

The document, entitled "Arrest and charges in Mayerthorpe
investigation - Anticipated media questions and RCMP responses,"
provides a rare glimpse of how police prepare to deliver their
message to the public.

Q9: Did you obtain direct evidence to suggest this accused assisted
Roszko in getting back to the Quonset?

A: Again, you are asking me to speak on an aspect of the
investigation that may or may not be evidence required for the court
process, I cannot provide such details at this time.

Q19: Has the RCMP been able to identify any internal shortcomings?

A: With my answer I must be careful not to interfere with or be
perceived as interfering with any of the ongoing investigations or
pending Fatality Inquiry. Thus far the RCMP has not implemented any
significant policy changes nor have any disciplinary actions been
started as a result of the events that occurred at Mayerthorpe.