REGINA – The province’s chief coroner has released his report into the death of Nadine Machiskinic, who was found dead in the basement of a Regina hotel in January 2015.
Police initially reported that Machiskinic had fallen down a laundry chute on the tenth floor of the Delta Regina Hotel on January 10, 2015. Foul play was not suspected, though Machiskinic’s family have been vocal about their desire for more information.
“There [was] a 60 hour delay to even start out this investigation, that’s a pretty bad start,” Machiskinic’s aunt, Delores Stevenson said.
“We weren’t notified of the death until 60 hours after the fact,” Regina Police Service (RPS) deputy chief Dean Rae said.
In his report, chief coroner Kent Stewart rules Machiskinic’s death accidental and suggests that “combined drug toxicity is a contributing factor.”
Methadone, bupropion, zopiclone, diazepam, benzoylecgonine and alcohol were all found in her system. An autopsy revealed a number of blunt force trauma injuries consistent with a fall.
The initial RPS investigation found that the door leading into the room with the laundry chute had not been locking properly and that there was no lock on the laundry chute itself.
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Stewart’s report also included a number of recommendations for management of the Delta Regina Hotel, including undertaking a comprehensive review of safety and security protocols, enhanced video surveillance and establishing protocols for routine patrols.
“It doesn’t matter why it went wrong, It’s the hotel made it possible for it to be a fatality,” Lawyer Tony Merchant said.
Machiskinic’s family has filed a lawsuit against the hotel, alleging that unsecured doors and a lack of security constitute negligence.
“There’s definitely a change that we can never go back to the way things were before,” Stevenson added.
She says the family is broken and that Machiskinic’s four children will grow up without their mother.
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