Questions still remain in regards to the death of Rudy Kishayinew, 22, whose body was found outside near 20th Street West and Avenue P on New Year’s Day.
Saskatoon police deemed her death accidental based on an autopsy and evidence at the scene, but it’s what happened in the hours leading up to her death that are still unknown.
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Lynn Thompson, an outreach worker, knew Kishayinew through the 2-Spirited community and learned of her death from Kishayinew’s girlfriend who was with her that night.
“We don’t know what happened in between the two leaving St. Paul’s Hospital because my friend went the other way. Rudy wasn’t allowed to go into her house because it’s a safe house, you can’t just bring people over. They were going to use the phone at St. Paul’s so Rudy could call a family member and see if she could stay the night,” Thompson said from Station 20 West on Friday.
“While they were calling they were asked to leave, so they left,” added Thompson.
Rudy didn’t make it very far in the frigid temperatures, it felt like -30 with wind chill. Her body was found across the street the next morning around 10:30 a.m. CT.
According to Thompson, Kishayinew was likely in the alley behind the Saskatoon Tribal Council Health Centre and Rexall looking for either drugs or clean needles.
“She was under the influence, she was high. We know that. She struggled with addictions.”
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Out of this tragedy, Thompson hopes there will be a light and Kishayinew’s death will prompt change.
“We’re not going to get a safe injection site, our city doesn’t want that. But St. Paul’s is filling in that role. Maybe we need outreach workers at St. Paul’s during the night to make sure they get mobile crisis or to detox,” Thompson explained.
In a statement released Thursday by the Saskatoon Health Region said, “within the parameters of privacy legislation, what we can confirm is we have no record indicating anyone was forced to leave our facility that night. We are in the process of providing police our surveillance footage from that evening as part of the continued investigation by the office of the chief coroner of Saskatchewan.”
The statement went on to say, “St. Paul’s Hospital has an open door policy for our community. Our staff, including security, watch those who enter and their job is to ensure this hospital is a safe haven for all those who enter our building, including those who do not have medical needs.”
The result of Kishayinew’s toxicology report from the office of the chief coroner is still pending, so it will take four to six months to determine a cause of death.
A candle light vigil will be held Friday night to remember Rudy Kishayinew.
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