Nowhere to Run: The Killing of Constable Dennis Strongquill

by Mike McIntyre

Finalist for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Non-Fiction

Dennis Strongquill was an Aboriginal RCMP officer who had spent his life protecting society, but he was helpless to fend off three ruthless killers who ambushed him on a dark Prairie highway just days before Christmas. Robert and Danny Sand were two young brothers who had grown to hate authority. Laurie Bell was a struggling junkie with a fatal attraction to Robert Sand. Together, the trio embarked on a ruthless cross—country crime spree, leaving behind a trail of victims in their violent wake. In Nowhere to Run, crime reporter Mike McIntyre takes you to the scene of the chilling crime, into the hearts of the victim’s family and into the minds of the perpetrators, capturing every twist and turn of the case from the cold—blooded murder to the sensational trial.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 4, 2003

About the author

Mike McIntyre is a justice reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press and a national radio show host. His previous books — Nowhere To Run: The Killing of Constable Dennis Strongquill (2003), The Yuletide Bandit: A Seven—Year Search for a Serial Criminal (2004), and To the Grave: Inside a Spectacular RCMP Sting (2006) have spent time on Canada's bestseller lists.

Reviews

[Lyle Appleyard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true behind the headlines look at a crime that shocked Western Manitoba and the rest of the country. It was facinating to read about the build up to the killing and the resulting aftermath. I have heard Mike McIntyre speak and he is a well respected crime journalist.

The background on the criminals is very detailed. Their long history and the trail of events leading up to that fateful event.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember when the news story of an RCMP officer being gunned down in cold blood shook Western Manitoba. It was interesting going back over the case, now almost 20 years later.

The book was a quick and engaging read. However I had to dock a star for typographical errors. A better editor was needed here.

This is my second true crime read from this local author. I would definitely read more of his work.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a terrible offering by McIntyre, but it has its flaws.

The author undertakes to relate the story of the murder of Cst Dennis Strongquill of the RCMP, killed by a trio of lowlife miscreants just before Christmas in 2001. You can't really say that he was killed in a shootout, because Strongquill's gun wasn't functioning and the RCMP had actually been fleeing from the offenders at the time of the incident.

Here's what McIntyre did right: he put in some long hours of research and did some interviews and cobbled together an interesting account of the principals involved in the case, including the criminal backgrounds of the murderers and the life and career of Strongquill up to the moment of the shooting. The case is intriguing, and the book holds your attention. Mike included sufficient photos to let you form an idea of what the crime scene and people involved looked like, and he follows up on the lives of some of those involved after the case was done in court. All good stuff so far.

On the con side, the book really needed to be proofread by someone, apparently not Mike, who could weed out the bloody typos that I have come to expect from McIntyre's books. Also, he should have someone check his facts pertaining to firearms. For example, on page 13 he writes"Dennis had his nine-millimetre Glock pistol out, but it was of no use. The magazine clip had somehow been jolted, causing his ammunition to fall to the ground" So the question is, what would Strongquill be doing with a Glock when the Mounties are issued Smith and Wessons? Did he have a non-regulation pistol, or does Mike think that all handguns are Glocks? And I can't think of any handgun since the Mauser broomhandle which requires a clip to load the magazine. Perhaps Mike also thinks that there is no difference between a clip and a magazine.

In addition, on page 126 he talks about lead pellets zinging off the door of the patrol vehicle, but on 134 he states the cause of Strongquill's demise was steel pellets. See what I mean? Ill-informed and inconsistent.

Mike does venture into a cautious assessment of the situation, lightly touching on Mountie errors, such as fleeing from a suspect who was really no better armed than they were, all things considered. Also, there was the lack of a shotgun in the Mountie vehicle, and if Strongquill had been wearing his body armour his torso would have been basically invulnerable to birdshot. I fully understand, being familiar with the rural area where this went down, that one could drop one's guard after so many uneventful nights. There were other police shortcomings but really they don't matter....this murder is all on the heads of the three yokels who decided to go on a theft and murder rampage. We can be happy that one criminal lost his life during their apprehension, but it's a pity we don't have a hangman waiting for the other two.

I enjoyed the book, but Mike needs an editor and/or a proofreader.

[Donna Epp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, sad tale of lives gone wrong and death of a Mountie.

[Tasha Whyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, difficult subject.

[Not_Your_Typical_Lannister (Leslie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite an interesting read. I remember this happening in my province but I never knew the details. Such a sad story about brave man. R.I.P. Dennis Strongquill.

I read Mike McIntyre's "To The Grave" and much preferred that book. However this is definitely a great, quick read.