Victim of Oxbow murder ID’ed; man charged with second-degree murder

The RCMP has identified the victim of the murder that has shaken the community of Oxbow.

On Friday, the Mounties said the victim was 28-year-old Brianna Hayes of Oxbow. The RCMP said her family had been notified of her death and victim services have been made available to them.

“It’s just tragic. She was a beautiful young girl,” one woman who knew the victim told 980 CJME.

Police also revealed Friday they had charged 24-year-old Taylor Japp of Oxbow with second-degree murder in connection with Hayes’ death. Japp is to appear in Regina Provincial Court on Monday.

Another man charged in the case, Tyler Shaw of Gainsborough, made his first court appearance Friday. He’s charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

The RCMP hasn’t released the cause of Hayes’ death.

Just before 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the RCMP sent out a media release saying that officers had received a report of a potential murder and that an investigation was underway.

The town’s landfill was closed Thursday, and police confirmed they had searched it as part of their investigation. But human remains weren’t found during that search.

The investigation continued and, at around noon Thursday, the body of a woman was found in a rural location in the Rural Municipality of Moose Mountain.

“Investigators do not believe there are any additional victims,” the police release said. “The identity of the female will be confirmed in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Coroners Service. Her death is a homicide.”

Anyone with information about the murder — or anyone who may have interacted with Hayes between Monday and Wednesday — was asked to call Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes at 310-RCMP or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.