powered by:
valneva canada inc.
crown drops murder charge, no others facing charges for 2022 regina death
"if additional information exists, we would want it," a regina police service spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
aug 13 2024
2 minute read
a charge of second-degree murder brought against forrestre jade windigo was stayed by the crown on july 30, 2024.
brandon harder
/
regina leader-post
the crown has dropped a second-degree murder charge in relation to the 2022 regina death of bryant thayne starr.
the charge against forrestre jade windigo was stayed on july 30, the second day of a preliminary inquiry into the matter.
a preliminary inquiry is a proceeding that allows a judge to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to go to trial. such inquiries are only held in relation to charges of indictable offences, which are considered more serious and carry higher penalties than summary offences.
provincial prosecutor derek davidson confirmed the stay in an emailed response provided monday.
“ the crown will not provide the specifics of our analysis, but after hearing from multiple witnesses at the preliminary inquiry, we concluded the charge no longer meets the prosecution standard of a reasonable likelihood of conviction and a public interest in proceeding,” he wrote.
“ currently, there are no other individuals charged in relation to the death of bryant starr.”
the case first began in the early morning hours of oct. 12, 2022, when officers were dispatched to regina general hospital after a report of an unknown male who was believed to be the victim of an assault.
the 34-year-old man, later identified as starr, died in hospital nearly two weeks later. police considered starr to be regina’s seventh victim of homicide in 2022.
advertisement
advertisement
on may 8, 2023, police announced windigo, then 32, was wanted for murder in connection with the death. on may 23, it was announced he’d been brought into custody and would make his first court appearance on the murder charge that day.
when a charge is stayed, it is no longer being actively pursued by the crown, but can technically be brought back within a period of one year.
in light of the stayed charge against windigo, the leader-post reached out to the regina police service (rps) for an update on the status of the investigation.
an rps spokesperson replied in an email that the force would not provide “investigative details.”
“ we are always hopeful further information comes to light that can assist an investigation. if anyone has information, we ask them to contact us at 306-777-6500, or even provide information anonymously through crime stoppers at 1-800-222-8477,” stated the email.
the passing of bryant starr is not the only tragic death his family has experienced. in a coroner’s inquest in 2019, the jury determined his brother waylon starr died of suicide while in custody at the regina provincial correctional centre on aug. 24, 2017.
collectively, inquest jury members made eight recommendations they hoped would help prevent similar deaths in the future, including more timely access to indigenous elders for those in custody.
advertisement
advertisement
the regina leader-post has created an afternoon headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. click here to subscribe.
with some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. click here to subscribe.
share story
