Supreme Court shuts door on appeal in brutal killing of Tiki Laverdiere

She was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years on the murder charge. Sentences for the other offences were ordered to be served concurrently. Whitstone has been in custody since Aug. 6, 2019, and received no enhanced credit for time served. She was also handed a lifetime weapons prohibition and ordered to provide a DNA sample.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal previously rejected Whitstone’s arguments that the trial judge erred in assessing witness credibility and in finding she intended to cause Laverdiere’s death.

The appeal court found Whitstone was the “directing and controlling mind” in the crime, citing her leadership, threats and active participation. That ruling now stands.

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)

Laverdiere was reported missing on May 12, 2019, after last being seen in North Battleford on May 1. Her burned and bludgeoned body was discovered wrapped in carpet and hidden under rocks in a pond outside the city on July 11, 2019, and formally identified days later.

Court records show the killing followed the unsolved death of Tristen Cook-Buckle weeks earlier in or around Edmonton. Laverdiere had travelled to Thunderchild First Nation with Cook-Buckle’s mother, Nicole Cook, for his funeral, where suspicions arose about what Laverdiere may have known about his death.

Cook is one of 10 co-accused in the case. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 10 years.

According to court documents, Whitstone — identified as the leader of the a local street gang — believed Laverdiere was involved in Cook-Buckle’s killing.

Whitstone considered Cook-Buckle one of her grandchildren and told his mother that Laverdiere was responsible and had “messed with the wrong family,” the documents say.

Over the course of a single night following the funeral, Laverdiere was beaten, confined and taken between multiple homes in North Battleford, where she was tortured and set on fire while alive.

Witnesses told the court music was turned up to drown out her screams. A flammable substance was poured onto Laverdiere’s head and set ablaze.

“My son burned,” Cook told Laverdiere. “Now you can burn.”

Whitstone directed others throughout the ordeal and ultimately ordered the killing.

Laverdiere’s throat was cut, and her body was later transported in a stolen truck to the pond where it was concealed, according to court records.

The remaining co-accused have also been sentenced, including Nikita Cook, Charles St. Savard, Brent Checkosis and Mavis Takakenew, with convictions ranging from first-degree murder to kidnapping and being an accessory after the fact.

At Whitstone’s sentencing, Court of King’s Bench Justice Brian Scherman found the murder was deliberate and planned, meeting the legal threshold for first-degree murder.

Following the verdict, Laverdiere’s uncle Doug Laverdiere said the sentence was “not enough,” describing his niece as “sweet” and “innocent.”

Carol Laverdiere (second from right), the mother of Tiki Laverdiere, stands with family members and supporters following court proceedings in Battleford on Nov. 25, 2022. (File photo/battlefordsNOW)

The case was subject to a publication ban for years while proceedings against multiple accused were ongoing. Documents were released only after the final cases concluded.

Saskatchewan RCMP have previously described the killing as a crime of vengeance driven by suspicion, drug use and gang dynamics. Investigators said Laverdiere did not possess any new information about Cook-Buckle’s death.

Cook-Buckle’s killing remains unsolved.

-With files from The Canadian Press

—

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

Supreme Court shuts door on appeal in brutal killing of Tiki Laverdiere

What's Trending