On May 17 around 5:30 a.m., Slave Lake RCMP responded to a suspicious death of an adult male at a residence in Slave Lake with what were believed to be stab wounds.

The RCMP Major Crimes Unit assumed carriage of the investigation with assistance from the Slave Lake Detachment, RCMP Police Dog Services and the Forensic Identification Section.

The deceased male was identified as Christopher Valiquette, 34, of Swan River First Nation and the RCMP Major Crimes Unit have now charged Vernon Wayne Laboucan, 32, of High Prairie with second degree murder.

He is set to appear in Slave Lake Provincial Court via CCTV on May 20, 2020. An autopsy is scheduled for May 21, 2020 at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Edmonton.

As this matter is before the courts no further information will be released.

Police are asking anyone who may have information on this homicide to contact the Slave Lake RCMP at (780) 849-3999 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.