Prosecuting 10 people charged with the murder of Tiki Laverdiere over the past five years presented its own set of challenges.
North Battleford Senior Crown Chris Browne and Prosecutor Charlotte Morden prosecuted all the cases of the 10 people convicted in Laverdiere’s murder.
“This is a situation where 10 people were charged with this homicide for their involvement in this homicide and all 10 people were held accountable so I think it speaks to the justice system doing what it’s supposed to do and holding those accountable for these types of crimes,” Browne said on April 26 after the sentencing hearing for Jesse Sangster, the last of the 10 to be convicted.
Browne said this was a complex prosecution involving 10 co-accused with various statements.
“That being said, I would commend the actions of the RCMP and their investigation. They did a superb investigation. They provided the prosecution with the tools to seek justice in these cases.
“Those that had guilty pleas and found guilty have been held accountable for their actions,” he added.
Defence counsel Patrick McDougall, who represented Shayla Orthner, had told the court that Tiki Laverdiere’s murder was the most horrific gang murder in the province’s history.
Browne said it’s uncertain how the murder has affected the Battlefords.
“I can’t speculate on how it has impacted the community. I can say obviously the community doesn’t necessarily know all the details because of the publication bans at this point. I think we will see the impact on the community once they are aware of this.”
