‘Coping and hoping’: $50,000 reward offered murder suspect

Standing with arms around each others backs, Delroy and Ava-Daun Miller remembered their family member, Roman.

“We was the light in the room,” Ava-Daun said. “We miss him.”

On Thursday, the Regina Police Service and the ‘Be on the Lookout’ (Bolo) program teamed up to launch a billboard campaign and reward of $50,000 for tips leading to suspect Daniel “Juma” Drie Atem’s arrest. A Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest in August of 2023.

Roman was killed in a deadly shooting in July of 2023 on the 2100 block of Broad Street, according to Regina Police.

Roman’s sister, Ava-Daun, said her brother lit up every room he went into. (Submitted)

“Roman was one of the most vibrant, liveliest person you could ever find,” Delroy, Roman’s father said.

He still finds it difficult to drive on Broad Street, near the area where Roman was found by police.

“I don’t know if we’re going to get over this,” Delroy said. “I don’t know when or how, but we are coping and hoping.”

He hopes the Bolo campaign will lead to Atem’s arrest which may help “lighten the burden” in his families recovery process.

Ava-Daun, Roman’s sister, said it has been very hard not having Roman in her family’s life anymore.

“Everyone was his family, and he enjoyed making others laugh,” she said. “He loved music. I remembered him playing drums like, he just had a lot of life.”

The Bolo organization works with police services and Crime Stoppers to amplify wanted criminals across the country using social media, billboards and traditional media. The program is free of charge to police services.

Atem was added to Canada’s top-25 most wanted list, sitting at number 14 in April.

The billboard campaign will share a photograph of Atem in Saskatchewan and Alberta where he is known to have connections.

“We’re trying to make his world smaller,” Deputy Chief Trent Stevely said. “It’s an opportunity for Daniel to do the right thing and contact a lawyer and turn himself in.”

In it’s past seven years, the Bolo program has featured 70 suspects where 30 of them have been located, according to the organization’s program director Max Langlois.

In February, 25-year-old Shedrek Samuel, a second suspect in the case, turned himself into police in British Columbia.

If a tip leads to Atem’s whereabouts, the money will be provided by Bolo through Regina Crime Stoppers.