The Regina Police Service says it will be making changes to its investigative procedures following a review by RCMP into the death of Nadine Machiskinic.
Chief Evan Bray who will not release the report publicly says management of major cases will see changes to how evidence is gathered, organized, coordinated and communicated within the police force.
He admits that it took investigators four months to submit toxicology evidence and police were not notified of the death for approximately two and a half days after. He says the toxicology delay was caused by miscommunication between investigating officers.
Yet despite the delays, Bray says he is confident this would not have changed the outcome of the case.
“We have never stepped away from the fact that we had some delays that happened during the case. However, we don’t believe those delays caused any change to the outcome of the investigation,” Bray said.
Yet the family of Machiskinic say they are disappointed that justice was not served in her death following a meeting Bray earlier this month.
Nadine’s aunt, Deloris Stevenson says Bray did not release the findings in the report, leaving her with questions with no answers.
“I still don’t really have a whole lot of confidence, considering the fact it’s not being made public, or that they’re not revealing the findings to myself or my family. I think after going through what the family and I had to go through for two years to get to where we’re at, I think that we deserve that much,” Stevenson explained.
“If you ask me that after going through this for nearly three years, I don’t really feel a sense of justice, in that’s not going to bring Nadine back. I honestly question what justice is.”
Bray says he understands the family’s frustrations as there are unanswered questions.
“As much as [there were] frustrations, the family was dealing with unanswered questions. The reality is the family has a loved one who is no longer here. Through our investigation we were not able to give them definitive answers as to what happened,” said Bray.
Machiskinic was found at the bottom of a laundry chute off the Delta Hotel in Regina in January 2015, with the death ultimately ruled as undetermined by an inquest jury.
Bray says the case is considered closed pending new information.
(PHOTO: Regina Police Chief Evan Bray. Credit: Dan Jones.)