MOOSOMIN — A public inquest into the death of Karen Ireland will be held from March 30-April 2 at the Canalta Hotel in Moosomin.
The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Subsequent start times will be determined by the presiding coroner.
According to a Government of Saskatchewan news release, Ireland, 50, was taken to the Moosomin Southeast Integrated Care Centre under the Mental Health Services Act by the RCMP on Nov. 22, 2022.
The news release adds she was admitted, placed in a secure room and allowed to go outside unsupervised. She was last seen sitting in the front foyer at approximately 7 a.m. the following day by hospital staff.
A short while later, staff noticed she was not in her room or outside, and a missing person's report was initiated. At approximately 2:30 p.m., she was found dead outside, about 550 meters from the care centre.
Section 20 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the chief coroner will hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person's death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.
The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The news release states the purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that deat occurred, and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner's jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
Coroner Frederick Kovach will preside at the inquest.
