A third suspect has been convicted in the death of Tiki Laverdiere, after pleading guilty on charges of unlawful confinement.
Charles St. Savard, from Edmonton, was one of the ten suspects charged in relation to the death of Laverdiere. His charge of first-degree murder was withdrawn back in October, and at a January 11th hearing via CCTV, he pleaded guilty on a charge of kidnapping with intent to unlawfully confine.
According to CTV, Crown Prosecutor Charlotte Morden and defense Tim Nolin entered a joint submission. The Crown called for a sentence of 24 to 33 months, while the defense called for two years less one day.
In the end, Judge Kevin Hill sentenced St.Savard to 14 months plus twenty days. With credit for nine months and nine days time served in remand, with his total sentence being two years less a day. When he is released, he will be required to submit a DNA sample and will have a lifetime ban from owning firearms.
Seven other suspects, Nicole Cook, Soaring Eagle Whitstone, Shayla Orthner, Danita Thomas, Jesse Sangster, Nikita Cook and Samuel Takakenew have all not had the charges against them proven in court.
Takakenew is set to appear in court on the 15th of this month. Cook’s jury trial has been moved to August 30, 2021, as jury trials at the Court of Queen’s Bench have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two other suspects, Mavis Takakenew and Brent Checkosis, plead guilty to accessory after the fact to murder in 2019 and were sentenced to 18 months and seven years respectively.
There is also ban on publication on the sentencing hearings for St. Savard, Checkosis and Mavis Takakenew until the trials of all the co-accused are finished.
Laverdiere was reported missing to Battlefords RCMP on May 12, 2019, after she had come to the area to attend the funeral of Tristen Cook-Buckle. Her body was found July 11, 2019, during an RCMP ground search of a rural area near North Battleford.