Inquests to be held into all deaths in Sask. mass stabbing case

The Saskatchewan Coroners Office has announced a public inquest will be held into the 11 deaths on James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, with a separate inquest into the death of Myles Sanderson.

Chief coroner Clive Weighill made the announcement Wednesday in Regina, indicating the hearings could be held in late spring or early summer of 2023.

“We're calling a public inquest for transparency, so that we can have a hearing where all the evidence is brought forth,” said Weighill.

James Smith Cree Nation was the centre of a provincewide alert earlier this month after 10 people were killed and 18 injured in a stabbing spree on the First Nation and nearby town of Weldon on Sept. 4.

Saskatchewan RCMP issued a dangerous persons alert naming brothers Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson as suspects, and later co-accused in homicide charges.

Damien Sanderson was found dead on James Smith Cree Nation a day later. Myles Sanderson was taken into custody near Rosthern after a four-day search but went into what the RCMP described as “medical distress” and died in police custody shortly after his arrest.

“With the suspect deceased, there will not be a public criminal trial,” said Weighill. “Without a public hearing of facts, it will leave many questions unanswered from the families involved, and the public.”

Saskatchewan has never held a public inquest that includes this many victims stemming from one event, confirmed Weighill.

He said the plan is for the inquests to be held in “as close proximity” to James Smith Cree Nation as possible, with Melfort, Prince Albert or the First Nation all options that could be considered.

Under Saskatchewan's Coroners Act, an inquest is required any time an individual dies while held in police custody.

A coroner's inquest is a public hearing that seeks to determine facts surrounding sudden, unexpected or unnatural deaths, but is not a criminal or civil proceeding and cannot assess blame. However, the six-person coroner's jury can make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths.

The jury, which Weighill said will be selected from the area in and around James Smith Cree Nation, will also be tasked with determining the cause of death for each individual, at the time of the inquest.

“The idea of an inquest is to be local, to the people that it affects,” said Weighill. “It is my intention to have a jury wholly comprised of Indigenous persons.”

Under the province's Coroners Act, depending on the circumstances of a death, the chief coroner can require the jury be composed, wholly or in part, of persons from a specific racial or cultural group.

Weighill said the decision of the jury composition was made in this case to ensure “that the people on that First Nation will feel comfortable with the result.”

Police investigations must be completed before a public inquest can occur, and many elements will need administrative attention before presenting details publicly.

“We will be reaching out to the families of the victims, to explain the reason for the process and offer them support throughout the inquest process,” said Weighill.

The two inquests will be held separately, and Damien Sanderson's death will be examined alongside the 10 victims.

The chief coroner said this is due to the date of the incidents, not to any speculation regarding Damien Sanderson's involvement.

Autopsies are still being conducted by provincial coroners, which are expected to conclude in three to four months. Weighill said no further details about autopsy results for any of the deceased will be made public until presented at the inquests.

However, he did indicate that preliminary results for Myles Sanderson show no blunt force trauma contributed to his cause of death. Sources close to the investigation have told Postmedia they suspect he had overdosed on drugs. Weighill said his office has yet to receive the results of toxicology or neurological reports.