An eight-week trial is scheduled for one person accused in Tiki Laverdiere’s homicide.
Nikita Cook will stand trial in Court of Queen’s Bench in Battleford, Sask., from Jan. 11 to March 5, 2021. She is charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in connection to the 25-year-old’s death.
Crown Prosecutor Chris Browne said the amount of time reserved is appropriate given the complexity of the case.
Laverdiere was in Saskatchewan in late April to attend the funeral of Tristen Cook-Buckle.
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She was reported missing on May 12 after she last made contact with her family on May 1. Human remains were found in a rural area outside of North Battleford on July 11 and an autopsy confirmed them to be the Edmonton woman on July 16.
Between July 20 and Aug. 15, eight people were arrested and charged in her death.
Soaring Eagle Whitstone, Nicole Cook, Shayla Orthner, Danita Thomas and Jesse Sangster face first-degree murder charges, among others. Mavis Quinn Takekenew is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
Brent Checkosis pleaded guilty on Dec. 20, 2019, to accessory after the fact in Laverdiere’s killing. He did not enter pleas to charges of improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle. Those charges will be dealt with when Checkosis is sentenced on Feb. 10, 2020.
Checkosis was stabbed in August while on remand at Saskatoon Correctional Centre. Officials said he suffered serious injuries in the attack.
Two men were charged with aggravated assault and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
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