Another person has been taken in custody in connection with the murder of Tiki Laverdiere.
The suspect, 36-year-old Samuel Takakenew, was arrested in Edmonton on August 26th after a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest on August 4th. He has been charged with alleged accessory after the fact to murder.
Takakenew is currently in Edmonton Police Service custody and will be moved to North Battleford to appear in court. He is the tenth person to be charged in the investigation, which has been ongoing since July 2019.
A date and time for his first court appearance has not been set yet. Â Takakenew is the son of Mavis Takakenew, who was also charged with accessory after the fact in this case.
Five other women and two men are still in court on alleged first-degree murder charges in connection with this case. Soaring Eagle Whitstone, Nicole Cook, Shayla Orthner, Danita Thomas, Nikita Sandra Cook and Jesse Sangster also face charges of kidnapping and improperly interfering with a human body. Charles St. Sevard has been charged with alleged first-degree murder and kidnapping. Sangster is also facing a vehicle theft count.
Mavis Takekenew and Brent Checkosis have already been convicted, with Checkosis receiving seven years. With time served he will have five and a half years left on his sentence. Mavis Takekenew has just over four months left on her 18-month sentence.
Laverdiere, who had travelled to North Battleford from Edmonton to attend the funeral of Tristen Cook-Buckle, was reported missing on May 1st, 2019. Her body was found outside the city on July 11th.