OPP and Treaty Three Police Continue Ongoing Probe into 2022 Death of Buifford Cowley
NAOTKAMEGWANNING FIRST NATION – REGIONAL CRIME REPORT – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), in partnership with the Treaty Three Police Service, have laid additional charges in connection with a 2022 homicide investigation involving the death of Buifford Cowley, a 45-year-old man from Whitefish Bay First Nation (Naotkamegwanning).
Cowley was reported missing on September 4, 2022, and following a coordinated search effort with the assistance of the OPP, his remains were discovered four days later in Northwest Angle #33 First Nation. A postmortem examination confirmed the identity of the deceased.
New Arrests and Charges Laid
As part of the ongoing investigation, two more individuals have now been arrested and charged:
🔹 Aliyah Redsky-Cowley, 24, of Whitefish Bay First Nation
Charged with:
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Indignity to a dead body – Criminal Code section 182
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Obstruct justice – Criminal Code section 139
Redsky-Cowley was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Kenora on May 29, 2025.
🔹 Kyle McLeod, 38, of Kenora
Charged with:
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Second degree murder – Criminal Code section 235(1)
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Indignity to a dead body – Criminal Code section 182
McLeod has been remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Kenora on May 23, 2025.
🚨 Investigation Ongoing
This case remains active. The OPP North West Region Crime Unit, under the direction of the Criminal Investigation Branch, continues to work alongside the Treaty Three Police Service, the Office of the Chief Coroner, and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service to determine the full circumstances surrounding Cowley’s death.
📞 Call for Information
Anyone who may have information that could assist investigators is urged to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online at ontariocrimestoppers.ca, where tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.
