A redacted copy of an external review into the Regina Police Service‘s investigation into the 2015 sudden death of Nadine Machiskinic has been made public.
The RCMP report said the investigation by the Regina Police Service into the death of Machiskinic, an Indigenous woman who fell 10 storeys down a laundry chute, did not meet professional standards.
The investigation into Machiskinic’s death started in 2015 when her body was found at the bottom of a laundry chute at Regina’s Delta Hotel on Jan. 10.
Machiskinic was taken to hospital, but ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
The coroner found she died of blunt-force trauma-related injuries consistent with a 10-storey fall. Her death was not considered suspicious by investigators, instead ruling it an accident.
Machiskinic’s family was critical of the police investigation.
An inquest heard it was more than 60 hours before police were called about the death and more than a year before they issued a public appeal for information about two men shown on surveillance video with someone who appeared to be Machiskinic.
Officers also took four months to send for a toxicology report.
The family also questioned how Machiskinic fit through a 53 centimetre opening to the chute.
A review into the investigation was requested by RPS Chief Evan Bray in 2017 and carried about by the Saskatchewan RMCP.
Bray released the RCMP report on Thursday, which contains 14 recommendations.
“I remain confident that, despite the acknowledged delays in this case, it was thoroughly investigated,” Bray said in a statement.
“Our investigation showed no evidence that someone was criminally responsible for the death of Ms. Nadine Machiskinic. None of the recommendations in this review would have changed the outcome of our investigation.”
Most of the recommendations have already been implemented, Regina police said.
“Based on both the internal and external review of this case, we have been able to make positive steps in supporting our investigators on complex files, through a new major case management system,” Bray said.
“This enhancement, which will be fully functional in the fall of 2019, will allow us to continue to deliver a high level of service to our community.”
Regina police first decided against making the review public, but now say they thought it was only fair.
The Machiskinic’s family were given the review shortly after it was completed.
-With files from The Canadian Press