Edmonton woman Tiki Laverdiere, 25, was last seen in North Battleford before her remains were discovered outside the city in 2019. (Supplied photo/Battlefords RCMP)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

RCMP investigation

Danita Thomas found guilty of manslaughter in Laverdiere case

Mar 25, 2022 | 5:23 PM

One of the individuals facing charges in the death of Tiki Laverdiere was found guilty of manslaughter at the Court of Queen’s Bench in Battleford.

Justice Richard W. Elson pronounced his decision at court Friday, following a judge-alone trial that wrapped up in February.

Danita Thomas, 34, of North Battleford, was found not guilty of first-degree murder in the case, but guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter. A charge of kidnapping was stayed.

She was also found guilty of improperly interfering with human remains and theft of a vehicle.

The sentencing hearing is now scheduled for June 24 at 10 a.m.

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The court ordered a publication ban on all details of the trial proceedings, including evidence and victim impact statements, until the judge or jury involving all the accused individuals have retired to consider their verdict.

Four other accused, Shayla Orthner, Soaring Eagle Whitstone, Nicole Cook and Jesse Sangster, facing charges connected to Laverdiere’s death are scheduled for jury trials in 2022 and 2023.

Nicole is the mother of Tristen Cook-Buckle, whose funeral Laverdiere attended on April 27, 2019 on the Thunderchild First Nation.

Five other individuals, Nikita Cook, Samuel Takakenew, Charles St. Savard, Brent Checkosis and Mavis Takakenew have previously been sentenced in the Laverdiere case.

Tiki Laverdiere, 25, was reported missing on May 12, 2019. She was last seen in North Battleford on May 1, 2019. Human remains were found in a rural area outside of North Battleford July 11, 2019 and confirmed to be the Edmonton woman on July 16 of that year.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow