Jonathan Robert Pickett charged in Joan Foulds' murder

C0ld case murder of two decades solved

Joan Foulds was a very dependable and charitable 57 year old woman, which is why on 20th July 1990 when she failed to appear to open the doors to an AA gathering co-workers considered that to be an odd occurrence. She took her part-time receptionist job at the Friendship Inn in Saskatoon very seriously never had she failed to show up for work on time or disregarded the numerous tasks she volunteered to do for the community . . . so where was Jean?

Perhaps thought Jean's co-workers her duty to open the door for the AA meeting had slipped her mind. Maybe she was at the Anglican Church, her usual place of worship doing volunteer work. Still it seemed to Robin Bellamy the Friendship Inn's director her absence was out of character. He instructed another employee to proceed to Joan's home with due haste to check on her welfare. But there was no response. Inside Joan's home everything was eerily quiet she lay on her bed unconscious and bleeding.

Joan was unmarried and had no children but was loved by her friends and community. A broad shouldered woman who was most often neatly dressed, she had trained as a teacher and did not suffer fools easily. She did however have a heart of gold, she had on one occasion donated her pay cheque in entirety towards helping someone bail out a member of their family from jail in time for Christmas celebrations. Joan had no enemies although Bellamy recalls her generosity led to some patrons demanding money or accusing her of having more money than she actually had. She was a popular member of the community who impacted on the lives of all those around her but she died alone.

On the 22nd July 1990 the unthinkable happened; Joan failed to appear at work for the second time in a row. "She never, ever missed work," Bellamy later told reporters. In a panic immediately Bellamy phoned the police. Police responding to the call forced Joan's door open and discovered a lifeless corpse in the bedroom. Joan Fould's had been mercilessly beaten and stabbed to death. An autopsy report also revealed bruises on her head ,she had also been sexually assaulted. The Autopsy report also proposed that Joan had bled to death roughly 24 hours to 48 hours from the time her lifeless body was found. "Today we all feel somewhat diminished as human beings by this outrage . . . ," said the Reverend McColloch at Joan's funeral. The Reverend managed the funeral extremely well given that Joan had been a long time friend of his for over 25 years. Joan was as her friends told a uniquely kind hearted soul.

Almost 23 year's have passed since Joan was so cruelly taken from the world but it had remained an unsolved case. Robin Bellamy recalled to reporters how hard that had been, thinking everyday that the murderer may be close and a part of the community going unpunished. "Someone passing everyday could have been the one who killed our good friend." Thankfully as technology has advanced and more tools are made available to police cold case’s like Joan's are beginning to be solved. In May 2013 Saskatoon RCMP staff were able to solve a cold case dating back 50 years. Then in late May police Insp. Rick Penny made a press release announcement regarding Joan Foulds "Finally we got a break in the case."

Jonathan Robert Pickett who had attended the Friendship Inn as a regular was 19 when Joan met her demise. He has lived in Saskatoon for the past 23 years unquestioned. In May Pickett 42, was arrested and charged with the first degree murder of Joan Foulds. Whilst police declined to provide details on how they have concluded Pickett was involved, Insp. Rick Penny said, "There were a number of things that came together." Joan's case has been of ongoing interest since 1990 and police have been relooking at crucial evidence for years. Saskatoon police hope to solve a number of cold case's this year and are currently looking at 16 cases involving murder or deaths where there were suspicious circumstances. Pickett's case has been adjourned until the 27th June.

"If you have committed murder and think you have got away with it, think again!" said Inspector Rick Penny.

Grok explains, Jonathan Robert Pickett (also spelled Johnathon Robert Pickett in some reports) was convicted of the second-degree murder of Joan Foulds (likely the intended "J Foulds") in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The murder occurred on July 20, 1990, when Foulds, a 57-year-old former teacher and volunteer at the Friendship Inn, was sexually assaulted, beaten, and stabbed to death in her home at 415 Avenue D South. Pickett, who was 19 at the time and a regular at the Friendship Inn where he knew Foulds, was not initially a suspect. The case went cold for over two decades until Saskatoon police reopened it in 2013 as part of their Historical Case Unit. They re-tested evidence from Foulds' clothing at the RCMP Forensic Lab, yielding a DNA match to Pickett, who was already serving a sentence for manslaughter. On May 29, 2013, the 42-year-old Pickett was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and sexual assault. On March 7, 2014, he pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder in Saskatoon Provincial Court. He was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 16.5 years. Foulds' family expressed mixed feelings about the outcome, noting the apology from Pickett felt insincere. No further appeals or overturned convictions have been reported since.