Edmonton woman Tiki Laverdiere, 25, was last seen in North Battleford. (supplied photo/Battlefords RCMP)

By Angela Brown

homicide investigation

Case for two suspects in Tiki Laverdiere murder adjourned pending further disclosure

Sep 27, 2019 | 3:53 PM

Two of eight facing charges related to Tiki Brook-Lyn Laverdiere’s homicide investigation returned to North Battleford Provincial Court on Friday.

Soaring Eagle Whitstone appeared in court via CCTV from Pine Grove Correctional Centre, while Nicole Cook appeared via a system known as roll cart from the Edmonton Remand Centre, where she is in custody on separate matters.

Cook is the mother of Tristen Cook-Buckle, whose funeral Laverdiere attended on April 27 on the Thunderchild First Nation.

Both Cook, 36, and Whitstone, 33, are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle.

Both of their legal aid appointed defence lawyers requested adjournments as they said they are awaiting more disclosure. A substantive new batch of evidence in the onogoing homicide investigation is expected to be released to counsel at end of September, according to Crown prosecutor Chris Browne, who cited this at a previous court date as the reason behind adjournments at that time.

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Cook and Whitstone had their cases put off to Nov. 1 and must continue to abide by a no contact order for a list of 25 individuals whose names are under a publication ban.

Six others are charged in Laverdiere’s death.

Shayla Orthner, Danita Thomas and Jesse Sangster are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle.

Mavis Takakenew is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

Nikita Sandra Cook is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping connected to Laverdiere’s death. She is facing five other separate prior charges that pre-date the current ones.

Brent Checkosis is charged with accessory after the fact to murder, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle. Checkosis was seriously injured during a stabbing at the Saskatoon Provincial Correctional Centre on Aug. 22.

On Sept. 6, Browne told court he is of the understanding Checkosis was unable to communicate with his defence lawyer at that time and there was no firm date for his recovery.

Laverdiere, 25, was reported missing on May 12 and last seen in North Battleford on May 1. Human remains were found in a rural area outside of North Battleford on July 11 and confirmed to be the Edmonton woman on July 16.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW