REGINA – Two people handed life sentences after being found guilty in the murder of 25-year-old Tiki Laverdiere from Edmonton, Alta., have filed appeals of their convictions with the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal.
Soaring Eagle Whitstone, of Onion Lake Cree Nation, and Nikita Cook, of North Battleford, were both sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Cook's appeal has been scheduled in the province's highest court in Regina on Sept. 6. A date to hear Whitstone's appeal is yet to be set.
Whitstone, now 37, was sentenced by Justice Brian Scherman in Battleford Court of King's Bench in November 2022.
Whitstone was also found guilty of unlawful confinement, and improperly interfering with human remains, and theft of a vehicle. She was sentenced to two years concurrent on the interfering with human remains charge and 90 days concurrent on the theft of a vehicle charge. The Crown asked Battleford Court of King’s Bench for a stay on the unlawful confinement charge, which the judge granted.
Laverdiere’s two sisters, mother, and supporters were in the courthouse gallery for Whitstone's verdict.
Cook, now 35, was sentenced by Justice Brenda Hildebrandt in Battleford Court of Queen’s Bench in October 2021.
Details from all preliminary hearings, trials, sentencing hearings, and appeals, are under a sweeping publication ban that prohibits the publication of any details of the proceedings until all those charged have gone through the court system.
On Friday, a new trial date was set for the last of the 10 people charged in 25-year-old Tiki Laverdiere’s death. The five-week trial for Jesse Sangster is scheduled to run from Sept. 3, 2024, to Oct. 4, 2024, in Battleford Court of King’s Bench.
North Battleford Senior Crown Chris Browne and Prosecutor Charlotte Morden are prosecuting the cases of the 10 accused in Laverdiere's murder.
Laverdiere was reported missing to Battlefords RCMP on May 12, 2019, and one month later, RCMP announced that her disappearance was the result of foul play and they would be investigating her death as a homicide.
On July 11, 2019, a police dog found Laverdiere's remains in a rural area outside of North Battleford while RCMP were conducting a ground search.
Laverdiere was in Saskatchewan April 2019 for the funeral of 20-year-old Tristen Cook-Buckle on Thunderchild First Nation.
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