OTTAWA — On Dec. 11, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal’s ruling confirming the conviction of Soaring Eagle Whitstone for the first-degree murder of Tiki Laverdiere.
Whitstone, 39, leader of the Westside Outlawz street gang in North Battleford and Onion Lake Cree Nation, had argued that the trial judge erred in assessing witness Jesse Sangster's credibility and in finding that Whitstone had intended to cause Laverdiere’s death.
The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal previously determined that Whitstone was the “directing and controlling mind” behind Laverdiere’s prolonged confinement and torture. Judges concluded her leadership, threats, and active participation left no reasonable doubt about her intent to kill. The Supreme Court agreed.
Sentence
Whitstone was sentenced in November 2022 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Her conviction includes charges of unlawful confinement, interference with human remains, and vehicle theft.
Background and testimony
During Soaring Eagle Whitstone's judge-alone trial, witnesses described her as the “Queen” of the Westside Outlawz commanding gang members she referred to as “soldiers.” Testimony revealed she ordered the confinement and murder of Laverdiere, who was tortured at three different homes in North Battleford before being brutally murdered.
The Supreme Court of Canada backed this saying Laverdiere was a member of a rival gang and Whitstone and others suspected her of concealing information about the murder of Whitstone’s great-nephew, Tristen Cook-Buckle.
Mavis Takakenew, Whitstone’s sister, testified at Whitstone’s trial that, “Red is the devil’s spawn. She is soulless.”
Another witness recounted Whitstone’s satisfaction during the violence, describing her as “happy” and “pure evil.”
Whitstone lived on Onion Lake Cree Nation, but court heard that when she sold drugs in the Battlefords, she lived at 1412-101st Street in North Battleford with Valene McCallum, who is now deceased.
A video recording taken of McCallum in the back of an unmarked police vehicle shortly after Laverdiere’s disappearance and death was played in court. It showed her sitting in the back and talking with two RCMP Major Crimes investigators who were seated in the front. McCallum told the officers that Whitstone came to her house with Laverdiere tied up.
“She said 'hostage in the house.' I didn’t understand. I was shocked.
“They are awful, awful people,” added McCallum about the Westside Outlawz street gang members. “I’m so scared to stay home. I can’t sleep. [Laverdiere] was covered head-to-toe with blood. Blood. That’s all.”
Seeing this pleased Whitstone, McCalllum told the officers.
“She was satisfied. She was happy.”
“It was just pure evil. She [Soaring Eagle Whitstone] had a smile on her face. Satisfied. There’s nothing to say about it except evil.”
McCallum told them she was tormented by what had happened to Laverdiere.
“I can’t sleep. I can’t take a nap. I close my eyes … I couldn’t help her. I was so [expletive] scared. I can’t think straight.
"I stay drunk. I stay high. Being sober is just too hard to deal with this. It is awful. I had to act like I didn’t care what they did.”
Laverdiere’s eyes still haunted her, she told the officers.
“I close my eyes and all I can see is her eyes looking at me. I try not to think about it. I feel bad. I put it in the back of my head.”
McCallum said that Whitstone was with both Terror Squad and Westside Outlawz street gangs.
Connection to Cook-Buckle murder
The murder of Tristen Cook-Buckle in Edmonton in 2019 set off a chain of events leading to Laverdiere’s death weeks later. Cook-Buckle, a Commander of Edmonton's Redd Alert gang, was beaten, shot and burned. Laverdiere, his close associate, was believed to know details of the crime. At Cook-Buckle’s funeral on Thunderchild First Nation, Whitstone and others targeted her, leading to her brutal killing in North Battleford.
Laverdiere was last heard from on May 1, 2019. Her remains were discovered by RCMP on July 11, 2019, in a rural area outside North Battleford.
Ongoing investigation
Edmonton Police Service continues to investigate Cook-Buckle’s homicide, which remains an active file.
If anyone has any information about Cook-Buckle’s homicide they are urged to contact the Edmonton Police at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online
10 people convicted in Laverdiere's murder
A publication ban was in effect for five years until all 10 people charged in connection with Laverdiere's torture and murder had gone through the court system.
North Battleford Senior Crown Chris Browne and Prosecutor Charlotte Morden prosecuted all the cases of the 10 people convicted in Laverdiere's murder.
In court, Browne described Laverdiere's murder as a "real life horror movie", and one of the accused's defence lawyers, Patrick McDougall, said Laverdiere's murder was the most horrific gang murder in Saskatchewan's history.
In an exclusive interview, RCMP Major Crimes S/Sgt. Rob Zentner said that Tiki Laverdiere's family helped break open the murder investigation.
