RCMP said the man wanted in connection with the death of Nancy Swenty was spotted in Saskatoon on Thursday.

Officers confirm Russell McDiarmid was seen at a Saskatoon hospital and believe he may be heading to British Columbia. McDiarmid is believed to be in a stolen 2006 Ford Ranger pick-up truck.

A Canada-wide warrant was issued for McDiarmid on Friday after officers searched an abandoned house in the community of Fraserwood Thursday night.

The 51-year-old from Fisher Branch faces a charge for second-degree murder.

Michael Dudek said he received a phone call around 1 a.m. on Thursday. The caller didn't say their name, but told Dudek he'd find a present waiting for him at an abandoned farmhouse in Fraserwood. Dudek said he went with his friend Sid Mitchell to check it out.

"We walked into the field by the truck and as soon as we looked through the window we (saw) a rifle on the seat wrapped in a camouflage tarp and you could see a bag full of bullets and a clip and there was a note tucked into it," said Mitchell.

The note was from Russell McDiarmid and was addressed to Dudek. It said the rifle was repayment for a loan. In the note, McDiarmid went on to say goodbye.

"You know, he said, ‘I didn't kill anybody. I'm not going to jail for something I didn't do,'" said Dudek.

Dudek and Mitchell immediately called police after finding the items. Dudek said in the note McDiarmid said he was taking his shotgun and leaving.

Dudek said he and McDiarmid were once roommates at the farmhouse, now abandoned, near where Swenty's truck was found abandoned at the end of July.

Neighbours told CTV Winnipeg that RCMP searched the vacant house and surrounding property early Thursday morning.

Over the weekend, Swenty's body was found near Poplarfield. She was last seen on July 27 at her Fisher Branch residence and was reported missing the next morning.

Police have not said how Swenty died.

"It is our belief that the person responsible for her murder is the person who knows exactly how she died and based on that we would be foolish to make that public," said Sgt. Line Karpish of the RCMP.

The area searched by police is about 7 km from where Swenty's abandoned red truck was found on July 31.

RCMP said McDiarmid is possibly armed and may be traveling in a stolen 2006 Ford Ranger pickup truck.

Officers advised people not to approach him.

Anyone with information on his location is asked to call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

- with a report from CTV's Caroline Barghout