Arrest made in Ninette homicide

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/03/2021 (1906 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NINETTE — A second-degree murder charge has been laid in Ninette after a 61-year-old woman’s body was found Friday morning.

The suspect, 22-year-old Nicholas Mass, has been arrested, and neighbours say the victim was Catherine Mass, 61.

An RCMP spokesperson said the suspect and victim were known to each other.

Police have yet to identify the victim, but in addition to neighbours confirming her name, a canada411.ca search of 102 King St. in Ninette links the property to “C Mass.”

The small house on the property, shaded by trees, was surrounded by police tape Saturday afternoon. A few RCMP members were seen conducting an investigation, including one who flew a drone overhead.

A media release issued Saturday notes the Killarney RCMP have joined RCMP Major Crime Services and Forensic Identification Services for the ongoing investigation.

Police involvement began at approximately 9 a.m. Friday, when the release said police visited the residence to “to check on the well-being of a female.”

Once there, they report finding the victim, deceased.

The suspect was arrested at the scene and remanded into custody.

A neighbour said Catherine was a “very friendly, very outgoing” artist who welcomed her to the neighbourhood with a freshly baked loaf of bread.

An area resident, upon spotting a Brandon Sun vehicle in the neighbourhood, pulled his truck parallel for a quick chat to ensure readers were aware of the “gentle, kind, talented woman” Catherine was.

“She was a really kind, sweet person,” he said. “A gentle, kind-hearted woman, really.”

The man in the truck added that Catherine was a longtime resident well known in the area, and that for a small community of Ninette’s size — fewer than 300 people — “It hits hard.”

RM of Prairie Lakes Coun. Glen Johnston, who serves the area, declined comment on what he described as a “terrible tragedy.”

In Manitoba Co-operator story from 2010, Catherine was described as a skilled artist of various mediums who held a fine arts degree from the University of Manitoba.

According to the story, she was at the time communication and program development manager for Southwest Community Options — a Ninette organization that opened homes for people after the Pelican Lake Centre for adults with intellectual disabilities closed in 2000.

Mass also worked as day service facilitator for a time, helping members with arts and crafts.

“What we hope we are doing is instilling a sense of the ownership of their work,” she said at the time. “All of this goes toward social valourization.”

The Sun reached out to the Manitoba RCMP for more clarity on Friday’s suspected homicide but has yet to receive a response.

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB