A pair of Coroner’s Inquests looking in to the mass stabbings at James Smith Cree Nation are being tentatively set for January of 2024.
In a media release Saskatchewan’s Chief Coroner Clive Weighill said they were hoping to hold both inquests in the spring or summer of 2023, however he explained the RCMP’s investigation of the events is still underway and because of that the inquests will have to wait.
“We need to ensure that all aspects of the investigations are complete before we can move ahead to ensure the inquest is as comprehensive and well informed as possible,” he said.
Two separate inquests are set to be held, one will look in to the mass stabbings on James Smith Cree Nation and in the Village of Weldon, while a second one will investigate the death of the stabbing suspect in police custody.
A coroner’s inquest aims to establish the facts in regards to who died and under what circumstances, the inquest jury will also be asked to determine the manners of death. At the end the inquest the jury may put forward recommendations with the aim of preventing similar deaths in the future.
Chief Coroner Weighill said his office has been in contact with leadership from James Smith and has told them about the tentative timeline for the inquests.
“We continue to work closely with the James Smith Cree Nation leadership and our Indigenous stakeholders throughout the investigative process, as this remains a high priority for the Coroners Service,” he said.
(Top Photo: Darryl Burns centre speaks to the media surrounded by family and fellow band members at a media conference at James Smith. Photo by Michael Joel-Hansen.)