Inquest jury finds killer Myles Sanderson died accidentally of acute cocaine toxicity

WARNING: Some content may be distressing to read‐ ers.

After about six hours of deliberations, the jury at a Saskatchewan corner's in‐ quest into the death of Myles Sanderson has found he died of an accidental acute co‐ caine toxicity.

Their findings, delivered Thursday evening, follow a nearly week-long inquest in Saskatoon into what led to the death of Sanderson, 32.

Sanderson died on Sept. 7, 2022, three days after he killed 11 people on James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby village of Weldon, Sask.

He went into medical dis‐ tress when he was arrested, and was declared dead at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon at 4:39 p.m. CST, about an hour after his ar‐ rest.

LISTEN| CBC's Dan Za‐ kreski details what inquest heard this week:

Earlier this week, the in‐ quest heard from Saskatchewan's chief forensic pathologist that Sanderson had died of "acute cocaine overdose," and that his arrest by the RCMP did not cause or contribute to his death.

Jurors at the inquest also provided four recommenda‐ tions for police services, in‐ cluding one that the Saska‐ toon Police Service consider establishing a dedicated team tasked with arresting individuals who are subject to outstanding warrants.

The three other recom‐ mendations were directed to the RCMP:

Consider implementing mandatory enhanced driver training, including a specific tactic used in pursuits to force another vehicle to abruptly turn. Consider a policy review in of criteria in high-speed pursuits in the in‐ terest of the safety of all in‐ volved. Consider additional training in the form of en‐ hanced extraction techniques for arrest takedowns.

Eddie Head, Sanderson's uncle, said the inquest brought closure to the com‐ munity and his family.

"What was the last days of his life? Where he was, what did he do?" said Head, who had standing at the inquest, meaning he could ask ques‐ tions of the witnesses on be‐ half of Sanderson's family.

WATCH | Eddie Head says Myles Sanderson's mother got answers to heal at in‐ quest:

He still wonders what Sanderson did between the killings on Sept. 4 and his ar‐ rest on Sept. 7.

Inquest testimony con‐ firmed some reported sight‐ ings of Sanderson, and that he was stealing from a home near Wakaw and camping nearby, but did not delve into a specific timeline.

Had a plan: forensic psy‐ chologist

The jury heard from the last two inquest witnesses Thursday morning.

Forensic psychologist Dr. Matthew Logan testified that Sanderson was found to be "mission-oriented" in his killings and had developed somewhat of a plan before he killed 10 people in his home community of James

Smith Cree Nation on and one person in Weldon.

At the time of his arrest, Sanderson was likely on his way to Saskatoon to kill his former common-law partner, Logan said.

Sanderson "pumped him‐ self up with cocaine, stole a vehicle and moved toward other potential targets," Lo‐ gan said, quoting from his re‐ port.

The psychologist had never met Sanderson, but coauthored a post-mortem be‐ havioural analysis based on his investigation.

Logan said Sanderson tar‐ geted people who he felt had wronged him and those con‐ nected with the Terror Squad gang, describing him as a mission-oriented offender.

He said those types of of‐ fenders typically do not kill people who aren't their spe‐ cific targets - like the woman whose truck Sanderson stole near Wakaw, Sask., on Sept. 7 - unless they get in their way.

WATCH | Coroner's coun‐ sel gifted with painting from James Smith Cree Nation af‐ ter inquest:

After stealing the truck, Sanderson led police into on‐ coming traffic southbound on Highway 11, toward Saskatoon, as they chased af‐ ter him.

While he could have been searching for refuge with his father in Saskatoon, Logan believes Sanderson was on his way to kill Vanessa Burns, his former common-law part‐ ner and the mother of his children.

Logan testified that Sanderson's recent violence toward Burns likely triggered his plan to massacre people at James Smith Cree Nation.

As he drove into oncom‐ ing traffic on Highway 11 at breakneck speeds, forcing dozens of vehicles to the shoulder or the ditch, Sanderson was ambivalent to death, Logan testified.

"It's really a voluntary selfkilling where you're doing so knowingly, recklessly but not purposefully," Logan said.

Sanderson showed severe psychopathic traits, Logan testified. Compared to other inmates scored at Canadian institutions, he ranked in the 94th percentile.

Delving into Sanderson's past

Logan noted a report from the Saskatchewan Peni‐ tentiary that said Sanderson had thought of suicide.

He testified that he be‐ lieves Sanderson likely didn't mean to overdose on cocaine - referencing the testimony of the forensic pathologist given on Tuesday that marked an overdose as his cause of death - but that he could have taken the sub‐ stance with reckless regard.

Logan's behavioural analysis included examining photos of the crime scenes, Sanderson's past and inter‐ views with family members of those killed and others im‐ pacted.

Coroner's counsel Tim Hawryluk said the behaviour‐ al analysis report Logan coauthored is an "extremely rare" request among public inquests.

Logan testified that Sanderson's childhood was "rife with abuse and instabil‐ ity." He also started using drugs when he was 13 and, in recent years, used cocaine "considerably."

Week-long inquest

The inquest also heard from the physician, Dr. Willi‐ am Papenfus, who called

Sanderson's time of death at Royal University Hospital at 4:39 p.m. CST on Sept. 7, 2022.

He testified that when Sanderson arrived at the hospital - while flatlining for the journey from the scene off Highway 11 between Ros‐ thern and Hague, Sask. - a trauma room was waiting for him.

Papenfus said doctors continued life-saving mea‐ sures.

Doctors were told Sander‐ son may have ingested some sort of white powder and that he had rapidly deterio‐ rated from an excited state before his cardiac arrest. He said doctors confirmed with an ultrasound that Sander‐ son had no heart activity.

Since Monday, jurors heard testimony from Saskatchewan Mounties re‐ counting the harrowing police pursuit, paramedics who testified about their lifesaving efforts, and opinions from a forensic pathologist and toxicologist.

WATCH | Jurors at Myles Sanderson inquest hear from officer who forced killer's stolen truck into ditch: