The sixth person to be charged in connection with the Tiki Laverdiere murder case made her first appearance in North Battleford provincial court Thursday morning.
Soaring Eagle Whitstone of Onion Lake appeared before Judge Dan O'Hanlon to face a charge of first degree murder of Laverdiere stemming from May 1. She also is charged with three counts from May 1 of kidnapping, improper interference with human remains, and theft of a motor vehicle; she is also charged with breach of probation for July 20, failure to appear from August 13, and breach of curfew from June 21.
Whitstone is remanded in custody and will appear again August 30 in provincial court, by closed-circuit TV. Whitstone is also under a no-contact order in connection to several individuals; a publication ban was ordered in connection to those names.
As was the case at previous court appearances of others charged in the case, several Laverdiere supporters were in attendance in court, wearing T-shirts in support of the victim.
Five others have already been charged in the case. Those include Shayla Orthner, Danita Thomas, and Nicole Cook who are each charged with first degree murder, kidnapping, improper interference with a human body, and theft of a motor vehicle. Orthner and Thomas are due back in court Sept. 6; Cook is due back Aug. 30.
Brent Checkosis is charged with accessory after the fact, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle; he returns to court Sept. 6. Jesse Sangster also faces accessory and theft of a motor vehicle charges and is due back Aug. 30.
All six people charged in the case remain in custody. The RCMP have indicated more arrests are anticipated.
