Dogged termination by Delores Stevenson has paid off. Her quest for answers into the January 2015 death of her niece Nadine Machisknic has led to the announcement of an inquest.
“I cried tears of happiness and I am very grateful this is happening,” she said.
The death was ruled accidental by the provincial coroner, but an inquest will allow a closer examination of the gaps in the investigation and conflicting findings by pathologists.
In January of 2015, 29-year-old Nadine Machisknic fell 10 floors to her death down the laundry chute of the Regina Delta hotel. It took nearly 18 months for the coroner to issue a report, ruling the death accidental.
It has also been learned two pathologists had different views on whether Machiskinic was too intoxicated to get into the laundry chute on her own. Evidence in the case was also misplaced by police for 6 months delaying the coroners report, and it took police more than a year to try to find two men who may have had contact with Machiskinic on the night she died.
Stevenson says the inquest may not provide all the answers, but at least her questions will be asked.
“I’m ready and prepared to question a lot of the holes and gapes in this whole investigation,” said Stevenson.
Stevenson believes if her niece was not aboriginal, or a drug addict, the investigation would have been handled better. She is meeting with Regina’s interim police chief next week to further discuss the case. No date for an inquest has been set. In addition to an inquest, the provinces justice minister has announced a review of the coroner’s office.