Manslaughter charge stayed in 2017 death of woman

The Crown has stayed a manslaughter charge against a Buffalo Narrows woman in the September 2017 death of 56-year-old Lillian Wuttunee.

Brenda Tobac was expected to make a court appearance last week for a preliminary hearing, but the Crown had already issued a written stay of proceedings.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Clements said there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction. Upon reviewing the evidence prior to the preliminary hearing, the Crown concluded that the incident that resulted in Wuttunee’s death was not a criminal offence, he told The Starphoenix.

Clements said Wuttunee’s death appears to be a “tragic accident” at home in which Wuttunee fell and hit her head.

On Sept. 25, 2017, RCMP found Wuttunee injured in a home in Buffalo Narrows after they responded to a report of an unresponsive woman, according to the original news release.

Wuttunee was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to a hospital in Saskatoon, where she died of her injuries on Sept. 29.

Following an investigation, RCMP arrested Tobac on Oct. 11.

The stay of proceedings gives the Crown 12 months to re-activate the charge and court case if new evidence comes to light.

However, given the information available, Clements said the Crown has “no intention” of bringing the case back to court.