RCMP arrest second man after Portage la Prairie homicide

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/03/2025 (384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A second suspect has been arrested in connection to a double homicide that took place on Dec. 1, 2024 at home on Oak Bay in Portage la Prairie, the RCMP said in a Friday update.

Jeremy Whincup, 54, of Portage la Prairie, was arrested on March 5. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

Preston Whitford, 30, of Portage la Prairie, was arrested on Jan. 9 and has also been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Both Whincup and Whitford are in custody.

The victims of the double homicide have been identified as James Borden, 42, and Emily Smoke, 37. The pair were in a relationship.

The Manitoba First Nations Police Service added more detail about Whitford’s arrest in a January release. They said the suspect sped off in a car, before sliding into a ditch. The man inside fled on foot. Officers tracked the suspect to an abandoned mobile home, where the man allegedly threatened police with a gun before eventually surrendering. The weapon was later determined to be an imitation firearm.

Whitford was charged with four additional offences related to his Jan. 9 arrest.

Manitoba Major Crime Services (MCS) and Portage la Prairie RCMP are still searching for the firearm(s) used in the offence. Police are asking that if anyone has information that may be useful in the recovery of firearm(s) to call the MCS tip line at 431-489-8106, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online.