Homicide victim was involved in gang activity, mother and aunt say

The man found dead on the Paul First Nation reserve had been in trouble with the law for several years, Christian Grayhorseman's mother Roberta Gray told CBC News Wednesday.

Gray said her son started dealing drugs when he was 14.

"He became a drug dealer at that age just to get by, because I was poor," she said. "I knew it was hard drugs because the people he knew were not just weed dealers."

Grayhorseman's body was found on Boxing Day on Sundance Road on the Paul First Nation reserve west of Edmonton. Cpl. Curtis Peters said RCMP are treating the death as a homicide. No one has been arrested.

RCMP would not confirm whether Grayhorseman, 20, had been wanted by police, but Gray believes he was involved in organized crime.

"I'm pretty sure it was RA — Redd Alert," she said. 

"How I know these things is that I have siblings that have crossed the path of these gangsters."

Grayhorseman's Facebook page is under the name "SonShine Died Red" and shows pictures of friends in red sweatshirts.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was found murdered because he was involved with the wrong people."

Gray, who now lives in northern Alberta, said her son owed people money and guessed he went to the reserve to sell drugs.

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"He was telling me he needed money to pay off people," she said.

"I tried, I sent him what I could, when I could, and the last few times I couldn't."

But Grayhorseman wasn't always a troubled youth.

 "Christian was a really good kid," said his aunt, Bridget Gray-McKay, who also acknowledged he was likely a member of the Redd Alert gang.

Grayhorseman was a good skateboarder and learned how to ride a bike at a young age, she said.

"He was really smart at computers. He did really good at school."

He was the oldest of four siblings and helped with their care, Gray-McKay said.

Roberta Gray said her son moved around a lot with his girlfriend and the two lived together in Peace River for a time before ending up in Edmonton.

As Grayhorseman was growing up, Gray was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Leslie Horseman, and the boy ended up combining the two last names.

"He was the sweetest person," his mother said.

"He would have carried groceries for someone who couldn't, he would open doors for women, he would cook breakfast in bed for his lady."

"He's my sunshine," she sobbed. "And they took him away."

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

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