Jonathan Soosay was sentenced Tuesday afternoon at Prince Albert Provincial Court. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Resolution

Man involved in fatal attack at Sask. Pen receives 8-year sentence

Jul 22, 2025 | 4:41 PM

An eight-year sentence has been handed to a man who was involved in a violent and fatal attack at Saskatchewan Penitentiary.

Jonathan Soosay’s sentence, which was issued Tuesday afternoon at Prince Albert Provincial Court, and follows Monday’s guilty plea to manslaughter, won’t actually start until after he completes a previous 11-year sentence he received in 2019 for manslaughter and robbery. The year prior, the 28-year-old stabbed and killed a man at an Edmonton bus stop.

On Jan. 29, 2024, 29-year-old Rocky Meechance was injured at the prison and later declared deceased.

Due to the fact, all five co-accused have pending court dates and two could face a jury trial, a publication ban was placed on the agreed statement of facts read by Crown Prosecutor Curtis Wiebe.

Multiple members of Meechance’s family were also present for the near hour long hearing and four emotional victim impact statements were read by Wiebe.

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Meechance’s mother wrote she will miss her son’s laughter and phonecalls and noted she has a grandson who will grow up without a father.

“My heart aches every day,” she said.

Meanwhile the victim’s sisters described feelings of depression and anxiety and wrote they think about their brother everyday. Meechance’s 13-year-old niece stated that after his death she found it hard to go to school or attend sports, and her last memory of her uncle is seeing him lying in the casket.

Rocky Meechance had a young son. (Facebook)

Defence lawyer Sarah Gryba said Soosay, who has connections to Samson Cree Nation in Alberta, is very remorseful and had no intention ever to kill Meechance.

“It all happened extremely quickly,” she said.

Gryba also noted that at the time of Meechance’s death, Soosay was experiencing the effects of PTSD which were brought on after getting “sucker stabbed” six months prior.

“Institutions like this are a different world,” Gryba explained and commended staff at the institution who tried very hard to resuscitate Meechance.

“Jonathan understands how much pain this has caused,” she said, adding that in addiction to the family’s pain, there is also an impact on correctional staff who are just trying to do their jobs.

Prior to accepting the joint submission presented by the lawyers, Judge Hugh Harradence acknowledged the family members present in the courtroom.

“This is a terrible tragedy for your family,” he said before thanking them for providing the emotional statements that allowed him to see who Meechance was.

“You’ve made a difference here,” he said.

What’s next?

Wyatt Crookedneck and Dominick Cochrane have entered guilty pleas to manslaughter and will be sentenced Aug. 27 and Nov. 3.

Preliminary inquiry hearings for Rene Merasty and Tyrel Munroe, who each face a charge of second degree murder, wrapped up Tuesday morning. A decision on committal is expected on Aug. 27.

The sixth man charged with murder, George Custer, previously waived his right to a preliminary inquiry hearing and is awaiting trial at Court of King’s Bench.

Another inmate, who was not named, was taken to Victoria Hospital with injuries described as serious.

Conrad Merasty, IIlyas Gilao and DJ Montgrand have each been accused of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Like Custer, they are also awaiting trial at King’s Bench.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social