Inquest leaves more questions than answers
- EFN Staff | April 07, 2017
The Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Nadine Machiskinic, 29, who died January 2015 after a 10-storey fall in a Regina hotel’s laundry chute concluded last week. The inquest began on March 27th resulting in more questions than answers. It also revealed how poorly handled this case was investigated.
Following the inquest, family members of Machiskinic, along with support from the Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism (SCAR), Coalition for Civilian Oversight and Colonialism No More led a press conference in response to the inquest results.
“Every step taken in this inquest does raise questions and concerns within the justice system from the Regina Police Service and their handling in the investigation [as well as] the emergency response service, the Coroner’s office,” says Machiskinic’s aunt Delores Stevenson in a press conference posted on the Colonialism No More Facebook page earlier this week.
The press conference was held on Monday April 3rd in Regina’s Heritage Community Association where Stevenson announced they are requesting the Regina Police Service to reopen the case for further investigation.
The biggest finding was determining Machiskinic’s manner of death. The Coroner’s report, which was released last summer, determined her death accidental. But at the end of last week’s inquest, her death was ruled as undetermined. Other findings from the inquest were a 60-hour delay when police were called to investigate Machiskinic’s death. When the ambulance picked her up from the Regina hotel, Machiskinic’s personal belongings, such as her purse, were left behind. It took the police six months to send in the toxicology tests from Machiskinic’s body. It also took the police a year to request the hotel guest list where the hotel staff indicated most of the hotel data is unrecoverable. Questions are still left without any answers.
“Looking into computer data and files is probably not that hard to do and I think it can be done,” says Stevenson. “Those video surveillance can be obtained…even the hotel guest list. I’m almost certain that anything that is put into the computer system leaves a paper trail. I think that information can be accessed if they’re willing to do that.”
The family is calling upon the Regina Police Service to reopen the case and find the missing pieces of the puzzle. A jury of six from the Machiskinic inquest did not agree on the Coroner’s decision on this case.
Beyond the sex trade worker label, Machiskinic was a mother who left behind four children to deal with unanswered questions and how their mother was portrayed in the justice system.
The Coroner’s inquest into Machiskinic’s death was held at the Evraz Place.