A monument on First Street West in Benito, in the Rural Municipality of Swan Valley West, commemorates 50-year-old police constable William Wainwright, a ten-year veteran of the Village of Benito Police. On 5 October 1935, at Pelly, Saskatchewan, he was a victim of a crime spree between 5 and 8 October 1935 in which three RCMP officers, one town constable, and three suspects from an armed robbery died. It was the deadliest incident in RCMP history until the Mayerthorpe, Alberta tragedy in 2005.
Constable William Wainwright Memorial Monument (July 2021)
Source: George PennerSite Coordinates (lat/long): N51.91343, W101.55064
denoted by symbol on the map above
“Two policemen slain by robbers,” Winnipeg Tribune, 7 October 1935, page 1.
“Killer trio rounded up; one slain,” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 October 1935, page 1.
This page was prepared by George Penner and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 31 January 2026
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