Manitoba Office of the Chief Medical Examiner: Inquests Called

The Province’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. A. Thambirajah Balachandra, has called the following inquests:

WireService.ca Media Release (10/24/2014) Manitoba

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF SHELDON ANTHONY MCKAY, age 30 years, who died on May 3, 2006, while an inmate at Stony Mountain Institution, Manitoba.

Mr. McKay was found on May 3, 2006 by a corrections officer, unresponsive and face down on his bed. Despite aggressive attempts at resuscitation, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was asphyxia due to neck and chest compression. The manner of death was homicide.

The inquest was called in accordance with The Fatality Inquiries Act for the following reasons:

1. to fulfill the requirement for an inquest, as defined in Section 19(3)(a) of The Fatality Inquires Act;

Inquest mandatory

19(3) Where, as a result of an investigation, there are reasonable grounds to believe

(a) that a person while a resident in a correctional institution, jail or prison or while an involuntary resident in a psychiatric facility as defined in The Mental Health Act, or while a resident in a developmental centre as defined in The Vulnerable Persons Living with a Mental Disability Act, died as a result of a violent act, undue means or negligence or in an unexpected or unexplained manner or suddenly of unknown cause; or

(b) that a person died as a result of an act or omission of a peace officer in the course of duty;

the chief medical examiner shall direct a provincial judge to hold an inquest with respect to the death.

2. to determine the circumstances relating to his death; and,

3. to determine what, if anything, can be done to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.

Information as to the date, time, and location of the inquest will be determined by the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba and released at a later date.

INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF TYLER JOSEPH ST. PAUL, age 21 years, who died on May 16, 2011, while an inmate at Milner Ridge Correctional Centre, Manitoba.

On May 16, 2011 Mr. St. Paul paged corrections staff from his cell indicating that he had been jumped and needed help. When staff arrived, he was still breathing and able to communicate. He then became unresponsive and, despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation, was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was tension pneumothorax due to blunt chest trauma. The manner of death was homicide.

The inquest was called in accordance with The Fatality Inquiries Act for the following reasons:

1. to fulfill the requirement for an inquest, as defined in Section 19(3)(a) of The Fatality Inquires Act;

Inquest mandatory

19(3) Where, as a result of an investigation, there are reasonable grounds to believe

(a) that a person while a resident in a correctional institution, jail or prison or while an involuntary resident in a psychiatric facility as defined in The Mental Health Act, or while a resident in a developmental centre as defined in The Vulnerable Persons Living with a Mental Disability Act, died as a result of a violent act, undue means or negligence or in an unexpected or unexplained manner or suddenly of unknown cause; or

(b) that a person died as a result of an act or omission of a peace officer in the course of duty;

the chief medical examiner shall direct a provincial judge to hold an inquest with respect to the death.

2. to determine the circumstances relating to his death; and,

3. to determine what, if anything, can be done to prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.

Information as to the date, time, and location of the inquest will be determined by the Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba and released at a later date.

NOTE: Although the deaths of Mr. McKay and Mr. St. Paul occurred in 2006 and 2011, respectively, inquests were not called due to separate ongoing criminal investigations. As charges in both cases have been dealt with, the chief medical examiner is now proceeding with the inquests.

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