Saskatoon
The coroner’s inquest into the September 2022 stabbing massacre at James Smith Cree Nation begins its second of three weeks on Monday.
Inquest into 2022 mass stabbing that left 11 dead, 17 injured began in Melfort last weekCBC News
· Posted: Jan 22, 2024 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
People enter into the Kerry Vickar Centre in Melfort last Wednesday for the coroner’s inquest into the mass stabbings that happened on James Smith Cree Nation in 2022. (Liam RIchards/The Canadian Press)WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
Over five days last week, the coroner’s inquest into the deadly 2022 attacks in James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and the nearby village of Weldon have heard emotional testimony from family members, along with graphic recounts of Canada’s worst mass stabbing in modern history.
As its second week begins Monday, the inquest in Melfort, Sask. — scheduled for three weeks — is expected to hear from more RCMP officers, first responders and James Smith community members.
It’s also expected to widen its scope to hear from experts about First Nations policing, the parole system and addictions, all of which have been common talking points among community members who have spoken with media.
So far, the inquest heard testimony from RCMP officers who responded to the stabbings on Sept. 4, 2022, when James Smith member Myles Sanderson killed 11 people — 10 in the community and one in Weldon — and injured 17 others.
Sanderson, 32, died shortly after being taken into custody on Sept. 7, after being on the run for three days.
The deaths led to the largest homicide investigation in the Saskatchewan RCMP’s history, according to Staff Sgt. Robin Zentner, the inquest’s first witness.
A total of 31 witnesses are expected to testify and answer questions from jurors and people with standing at the inquest, meaning they have the right to question witnesses.
WATCH | Stabbing victim’s daughter describes questioning witnesses at inquest:
Stabbing victim’s daughter shares what it is like to question witnesses at inquestDeborah Burns, the daughter of Earl Burns Sr. — one of the victims of the 2022 mass stabbing on James Smith Cree Nation mass stabbing — and sister to Vanessa Burns shares what it has been like to mentally prepare to question witnesses at the inquest the stabbings.
The list includes relatives of the victims, as well as James Smith Cree Nation, the RCMP, the Correctional Service of Canada, the Parole Board of Canada and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety.
Last Monday, on the inquest’s first day, ominous text messages from Damien Sanderson, Myles’s brother, were shared as evidence.
About 24 hours before the attacks, Damien messaged his wife in a series of texts that he was “down to die me and my brother … so wish me luck … I’m not scared to die.”
Damien was later killed by his brother.
On Tuesday, evidence included the audio of frantic 911 calls, text messages and witness accounts describing each killing, and graphic crime scene photos.
Jurors, families and the public heard how Myles Sanderson drove, walked and ran to multiple homes raving about money, drugs or gang issues.
The next day, one of the first RCMP officers to respond to the 911 call testified about what he saw, including encouraging a relative to continue giving CPR to a woman who appeared to be dead.
“You always want to provide the opportunity for a family member to say they did everything they could to save their loved ones,” RCMP Const. Tanner Maynard said, his voice cracking.
Myles’s former partner, Vanessa Burns, testified later in the week about the emotional and physical abuse she suffered from Myles leading up to the deadly stabbings.
She told the inquest more programming is needed for both abuse survivors and the abusers.
WATCH | Vanessa Burns wants to see more support for domestic violence survivors:
Vanessa Burns wants to see more support for domestic violence survivors out of James Smith Cree Nation inquestVanessa Burns spent years living in fear of Myles Sanderson’s brutal violence before he killed 11 people and injured 17 others in a 2022 stabbing massacre in Saskatchewan.
Her father, Earl Burns Sr., was killed in the attacks. Her mother was injured.
On the final day of the inquest’s first week, criminal investigative psychologist Matthew Logan said Sanderson had many psychopathic traits.
Both Logan and RCMP Staff Sgt. Carl Sesely said Sanderson had a plan when he began the deadly attacks. While neither had a chance to interview him before he died in custody, Sesely said Sanderson’s mission was to attack people “with whom he had a grievance.”
The objective of the inquest isn’t to lay blame, but to set the record straight on what happened during the massacre.
At its end, the inquest will task its six jurors with making recommendations to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future.
Support is available for people affected by this tragedy. The Hope for Wellness hotline offers immediate help to Indigenous people across Canada. Mental health counselling and crisis support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-855-242-3310 or by online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.
You can talk to a mental health professional via Wellness Together Canada by calling 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth or 741741 for adults. It is free and confidential.
Talking Stick is a Saskatchewan-based free anonymous chat platform that connects people seeking emotional support to a trained Indigenous peer advocate 24/7.
