B.C. man linked to farm search appears in court in unrelated case

A man whose parents' farm in B.C.'s Okanagan is the focus of an extensive police search appeared in court Thursday on charges related to alleged violence against a sex-trade worker.

Curtis Wayne Sagmoen, unshaven and wearing an orange jumpsuit, appeared briefly before a judge through teleconference in Vernon.

Mr. Sagmoen, 36, faces six charges related to an Aug. 27 incident in which a sex-trade worker was allegedly threatened with a firearm and one drug-possession charge related to a Sept. 5 incident.

The court appearance came as the RCMP are searching a farm, owned by Mr. Sagmoen's parents, after the discovery of human remains at the site. That search began last week, and police recently brought in heavy equipment, additional tents and other material. Mr. Sagmoen has not been charged in connection with the discovery of the human remains and police have not suggested any link between the two cases.

Police descended on a property owned by Mr. Sagmoen's parents on Oct. 19 armed with a search warrant, although court records related to the search are sealed. The 10-hectare piece of land is on Salmon River Road in Silver Creek, a farming community about an hour east of Kamloops.

Two days after the search began, investigators confirmed they had discovered human remains. Police have released very little information about the search, including whether the remains belong to one person or more, or whether they are connected to the recent disappearances of several young women in the area.

Since then, the excavation area – behind the house, in the corner of the lot – has expanded. Heavy excavation equipment was brought in on Wednesday, along with additional staff from the RCMP's major crime and specialized forensic identification units. Large white tents have been erected over the dig site.

During Thursday's court appearance, the judge granted a publication ban on the identity of the victim in that case, and the matter was adjourned until Nov. 23.

Mr. Sagmoen did not speak.

Crown attorney Juan O'Quinn said the brief appearance served as an update to the file and it would be up to Mr. Sagmoen's lawyer to determine whether to seek bail at the next appearance.

Lisa Jean Helps, the Vancouver-based lawyer representing Mr. Sagmoen, declined to comment on her client or his family.

"This matter will be dealt with in the justice system in due course and we wait for that," she said.

The six charges related to the Aug. 27 offence are: disguising face with intent to commit offence; intentionally discharging a firearm while reckless; uttering threats; careless use or storage of a firearm; pointing a firearm; and possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose.

Outside the courthouse, a group of Indigenous women sang songs and held up placards bearing the photos and names of missing and murdered women.

Meagan Louis said the group attended to protest violence against women.

"Any violent act against a woman, whether Indigenous or not Indigenous, is totally unacceptable," she said.

Five women have gone missing in the area since early 2016, resulting in speculation that the search could be linked to one or more of those missing-person investigations.

Police have cautioned against such speculation, saying it is too early to say whether the search is linked to any particular case.

"Until these remains have been positively identified, it's too early in the investigation to say whether the investigation is linked or not to any ongoing missing-persons investigations," Corporal Dan Moskaluk, spokesman for the RCMP's Southeast District, said on Wednesday at the search site.

Caitlin Potts, 27, who is from the Samson Cree First Nation in Alberta but had been living in B.C., was last heard from on Feb. 22, 2016. RCMP said investigators believe her disappearance is the result of foul play and that her body has not been found.

Ashley Simpson, 32, was last seen on April 27, 2016. She had been living on Yankee Flats Road, which runs parallel with Salmon River Road. In an update this past May, RCMP said "investigators suspect Ashley's disappearance may very well be the result of foul play."

Deanna Wertz, 46, also disappeared from Yankee Flats Road, and was last seen on July 19, 2016. An RCMP statement says investigators believe Ms. Wertz – an avid hiker – went for a walk "somewhere in the wooded area near her residence on Yankee Flats Road and has not been seen since."

Traci Genereaux, 18, was last heard from on May 29, 2017, in Vernon.

Nicole Bell, a 31-year-old who was last seen on Sept. 2 this year in Sicamous, east of Salmon Arm, was reported missing on Sept. 7.

RCMP statements have described Ms. Potts and Ms. Wertz as First Nations and the other three women as Caucasian.