A 53 year old RCMP officer appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court this morning (Thurs) charged with first degree murder. The 32 year member of the RCMP, Bernie Herman, is back in court on May 26th.

Prince Albert Police reported in a news release that the body of 26 year old Braden Herman was found in a wooded area in that city early Tuesday evening. Although they have the same last name the two aren’t related, but police say they knew each other, and the RCMP officer was off duty at the time of the incident. The autopsy is scheduled for today (Thurs) in Saskatoon.

The Prince Albert Police Service has requested an independent observer to oversee the investigation.