deadmonton 2005 - nina louise courtepatte

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WARNING



Nina Louise Courtepatte, 13, died from blunt force trauma on April 3rd, 2005.


Charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault were Michael Erin Briscoe, 34, Joseph Wesley Laboucan, 19, and three teens not identified by provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.


ongoing developments | latest update
first teen pleads guilty | verdicts in Briscoe-Laboucan trial
verdict in trial of second teen



Nina Louise Courtepatte
CTV Edmonton image
CTV Edmonton image

A month had passed since local homicide detectives were last called out, but the first murder of the spring of 2005 found them dealing with an unidentified young female who was found bludgeoned to death on an Edmonton area golf course.


The case presented police with challenges that included hesitancy from the girl's family in reporting their daughter missing despite widespread media coverage.


On April 4th, 2005 a groundskeeper inspecting the fourth fairway of the Edmonton Springs Golf Course Resort, located 30 km west of downtown Edmonton, found a teen's body as the winter's snow was receding.


Initial reports placed the girl's age as between 14 and 15, but Stony Plain and Spruce Grove RCMP were unable to say if she was native or Hispanic.


Due to the severity of the beating, dental records were required to identify her. Police believed she was killed no more than two weeks before she was found.


Workers last inspected the fairway two weeks prior to the discovery.


The area is shielded by trees from the course's outbuildings and is not easily accessible, with no adjacent roads and no line of sight from the few neighbouring homes and an RV park.


The victim was described as about five-foot-three and about 110 pounds, wearing blue pants and a black hoodie with "West Peak" written on the front in gold.


A tent covered the area where the body was found as police combed the golf course and the roads and countryside surrounding it with metal detectors and dogs.


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An autopsy was conducted but police did not release the results.


Project KARE was called in despite authorities not knowing if the woman was a sex-trade worker.


Project KARE is the task force looking into about 80 cases of missing and murdered women living high-risk lifestyles.


The story of the found body was headline news. However, the police description remained vague as the victim had no scars or tattoos and hadn't had any dental work done. She also didn't match any initial missing person reports.


Two days after the discovery of the body, a family reported their daughter missing.


They had last seen her on Friday and had spoken to her by telephone on Sunday, the day before he body was discovered. Police said her parents were comfortable with the fact they had a contact phone number, and were in contact with her up until the early morning hours of Sunday.


The parents didn't read the newspaper, or pay attention to news on radio or television, so they didn't know a body had been found when they filed the report.


The family identified their daughter's body the next day.


CTV Edmonton image

The dead girl, an aboriginal, was identified as Nina Louise Courtepatte, aged 13.


Police initially said there were no sign of sexual assault, and that she didn't have any alcohol or drugs in her system. There was also no indication the girl was involved in a high-risk lifestyle, other than frequenting West Edmonton Mall.


At an April 13th, 2005 press conference held to announce that four arrests were made in connection with the case, RCMP said the murder was premeditated.


"She was taken out, mislead with information, then suffered a very violent death."


Police said they were led to the suspects through footage obtained from security cameras at West Edmonton Mall.


Four people were charged with first-degree murder. They included two adults and two 17-year-olds, one of them female. Police said the two 17-year-olds were known to the victim.


Two days later, police charged a fifth person with first-degree murder. As RCMP charged a 16-year-old Edmonton girl, they also announced they were investigating a sixth person in connection with the death. Police did not explain the role of the sixth person, nor did they identify age or gender.


Charged with first-degree murder were Michael Erin Briscoe, 34, and Joseph Wesley Laboucan, 19. The three teens charged were not identified by provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.


With the exception of Laboucan, who is from Fort St. John, B.C., all the suspects were from Edmonton.


As the case against the five persons charged was developing, one of them spoke to a local radio station about the event.


Joe Laboucan told 630 CHED Radio that Nina was lured to the golf course and was hit on the head from behind, and that four people were in on the attack.


Laboucan denied that he and a 16-year-old girl took part in the assault, and they ignored Nina's pleas for help for fear that they would also die.


Laboucan also revealed that a wrench and a hammer were used to bludgeon Courtepatte to death. He said Courtepatte and another person got into a confrontation, then others joined in beating her.


Laboucan also said he didn't know if Courtepatte was still alive when the group left her lying on the green. He called a close friend after the attack, and that friend called police.



POLICE LINE: DO NOT CROSS


Ongoing Developments




May 26th, 2005


Despite earlier reports, police said they now believe Courtepatte was sexually assaulted before she was killed. The adults arrested were then additionally charged with kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault. Police further said the three others charged with first-degree murder in the case, all youths, could also face further charges.


Alberta Children's Services began investigating how the department handled Courtepatte's file after it emerged that she had been the subject of a series of inquiries or screenings up to a year before her death.



June 8th, 2005


The three teenagers arrested had charges of aggravated sexual assault and kidnapping added to their original charges of first-degree murder.



November 8th, 2005


Gareth Hampshire

An Edmonton area broadcaster and a newsman were charged with violating provincial child welfare legislation in connection with the Courtepatte case.


Gareth Hampshire (left) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation were charged with unlawfully publishing information serving to identify Courtepatte and/or her guardians and/or siblings.


Edmonton police laid the charges under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act. Police allege the violations took place on May 10th on the CBC's Radio One network. A court date was set for December 20th, 2005.


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May 24th, 2006


Court dates were set for all five charged in Courtepatte's death.


A female, who was 16 at the time of the slaying, will have her court date set at an arraignment July 21st, 2006. She will likely go to trial in the spring of 2007.


The other four charged, Joseph Wesley Laboucan, Michael Erin Briscoe and two youths, have court dates set for early 2007.


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December 18th, 2006


CTV Edmonton image

It was learned that one of the young offenders charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte (left) pleaded guilty solely to the murder charge.


The male teen, now 19, pleaded guilty in youth court in Stony Plain on December 8th.


The charges of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault dropped in exchange for the guilty plea.


The teen was expected to testify against the four co-accused in the case during their three separate jury trials in January, March and May 2007.


“I anticipate he will be called as a witness,” Crown prosecutor John Watson said.


The two adults charged with Courtepatte's murder, Michael Briscoe and Joseph Laboucan, were set to go to trial January 15th, 2007. Briscoe's girlfriend, now 19, was to go to trial March 5th, 2007. The male teen's girlfriend, now 17, has a trial date set for May 1st, 2007.


Watson said he will ask the teen be sentenced as an adult at a hearing to take place April 17th, 2007 before Judge Janet Franklin.


If sentenced as an adult, the teen could face a life term with no parole for at least 10 years. Defence lawyer Richard Cairns was expected to argue for a youth sentence, a 10-year term consisting of six years in custody.


It was learned in court that Nina Courtepatte was beaten with a wrench and a sledge hammer and was repeatedly stabbed with a pair of throwing knives and choked after she was lured to the Edmonton Springs Golf Course Resort.


CTV Edmonton was first to report the graphic details of the assault after they gained access to the agreed statement of facts read into evidence in the Stony Plain court.


CTV Edmonton image

The document revealed the murder was planned and that Courtepatte was chosen to be murdered after being spotted at West Edmonton Mall on April 2nd, 2005.


According to the statement, the teen and his 16-year-old girlfriend met at a Humpty's restaurant on April 2nd with Michael Briscoe, 34, his 17-year-old girlfriend and Joseph Laboucan, 19.


The group heard that Laboucan had "formulated a plan to kill someone."


Laboucan said he wanted a female because he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her.


"The others initially believed Laboucan was joking but later realised the plan was real."


"The group went to West Edmonton Mall to locate and select someone to kill."


Laboucan and Briscoe's girlfriend spotted Nina. The group then went to McDonald's for some food and later returned to the mall.


Courtepatte and a 15-year-old girlfriend were approached and invited to a rave party. Instead, they were taken in Briscoe's Ford Tempo to a golf course outside of Edmonton.


When the group walked onto the fairways in the early morning of April 3rd, Laboucan began talking about “rituals and raising the dead.”


Those words frightened the two girls. Laboucan then hugged Courtepatte and whispered something into her ear which caused her to “freak out” and begin screaming.


Nina was then hit on the head by Briscoe's girlfriend with a wrench hidden under the sleeve of her jacket.


"The group then begins to beat Courtepatte with their fists and feet."


Courtepatte’s “extremely frightened” girlfriend was then taken back to the car. She continued to hear Nina’s screams while leaving.


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Courtepatte was then told she was going to be killed. The teen who pleaded guilty told her she could live if she had sex with some of the males.


According to the statement, Laboucan raped Courtepatte while one of the female accused held her hands. Then the teen raped her as well.


"After the sexual assault, Courtepatte is told by the group that she will be killed with a metal sledge hammer."


"When told by the group she would be killed with a sledge hammer Courtepatte pleaded to be stabbed instead as it would be quicker and less painful."


The 13-year-old girl was then choked with a wrench and an attempt was made to slit her throat with throwing knives but their blades were too dull.


"Courtepatte is still alive and the group decides to use the sledge hammer to finish killing her."


Nina was hit several times by members of the group, including a blow to the head by Laboucan.


He also used the sledge hammer to hit Courtepatte in the groin area in an attempt to dispose of evidence of the sexual assault.


A female then stabbed Courtepatte in the throat and face, the statement indicated.


CTV Edmonton image

Finally, the male teen, nicknamed "Pyro," tried to set fire to Nina's pants but was unable to do so.


When the group returned to the car, Courtepatte’s girlfriend was told Nina was still alive and they had stripped her naked and sent her home.


They then left the golf course and went for a meal at a restaurant.


They later dropped the male teen off at his home and went to the Windmill Motel, where Briscoe and his girlfriend had a room.


The agreed statement of facts can not be considered as evidence in the cases of the other accused.


Laboucan was cited in the statement as telling the group Courtepatte was murdered "Because she is the chosen one."


Lawyers involved with the case said the details of the killing were among the most shocking they have ever heard.


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January 1st, 2007


With two weeks left before his trial date, Joseph Laboucan once again used the media to get his side of the story out.


Speaking to 630 CHED Radio's Byron Christopher from the Remand Centre in Red Deer, Laboucan said one of his co-accused has a "very wild imagination."


Laboucan told Christopher he is worried that he may not recieve a fair trial after a teen pleaded guilty in a Stony Plain youth court.


The young offender's trial included an agreed statement of facts that outlined events in Courtepatte's murder.


The 19-year-old called his co-accused "a liar" and said the teen's version of events is "self-serving."


Laboucan said he planned to plead not guilty and take the stand in his own defence during his trial, set for January 15th, 2007.


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January 9th, 2007


A week before the trial of Joseph Laboucan and Michael Briscoe was to take place, word reached media that their lawyers were proposing to have the case against them dimissed.


Defence lawyers Laurie Wood and Charles Davison cited pre-trial publicity, specifically the agreed statement of facts, stemming from the December 8th, 2006 guilty plea of one of the young offenders charged with first-degree murder.


The allegations in his case have not been proven in court and were not to be considered as evidence in any of the other trials in the Courteppate murder.


Instead, Wood and Davison filed a notice of motion seeking to either have a trial by judge alone or have the jury trial moved to another location.


First-degree murder charges automatically place a trial before a judge and jury. However, if consent is given by the Crown prosecutor, a judge may consider changing the election and have the trial proceed without a jury.


In Stony Plain Provincial Court, Crown prosecutor Anne Schutte announced she had consented to the defence request.


"Our office and my friends have come to an agreement," Schutte told Judge Janet Franklin.


Franklin then agreed to the change.


The trial, which originally set to begin January 15th, will be delayed a day.


Beginning January 11th, a voir dire hearing was to begin to discuss the admissibility of some pieces of evidence.


The voir dire process is essentially a "trial within a trial."


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January 11th, 2007


Joseph Laboucan and Michael Briscoe pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated sexual assault, and kidnapping.


Their case began with pre-trial arguments. The media initially refrained from reporting details of the hearing because of a publication ban thought to be in effect.


At first, specific details of the voir dire hearing in the trial against the two men were not made public.


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It was reported that a videotape was played in court showing the RCMP interviewing one of the two adult males charged.


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January 15th, 2007


With the trial of Joseph Laboucan and Michael Briscoe taking place before a judge alone, no publication ban was in effect. This allowed media to report details of a video tape played in court during the voir dire hearing in the case.


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An eight-hour interview, conducted by RCMP Const. Kelly Brophy and Michael Briscoe beginning on April 11th, 2005, showed one man shifting attention away from himself in Courtepatte's murder.


Court of Queen's Bench Justice Brian Burrows viewed the tape to determine its admissibilty in the trial.


On the tape, Michael Briscoe maintained he barely knew the names of the four people in his car the night Courtepatte was murdered.


Briscoe said he simply went along while fearing for his life – afraid he would be Joseph Laboucan’s next victim.


“I thought they were going to do [kill] me. I basically drove the vehicle. That’s all I did. The rest of it basically disgusts me.”


Briscoe explained that his 17-year-old girlfriend introduced him to Laboucan. He said the "big, scary man" – nicknamed "Snowman" – had bragged about "chopping up" 180 people.


"But I tell you one thing is that the people that are involved you probably already – the one's that really deserve it – you pretty much already have."


"Like I'm not totally innocent either because maybe I should have came on and said something in the first place but ..."


Briscoe said the four people – including a 19-year-old who had already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder – were talking about killing someone, and that it was Laboucan who forced the issue.


“None of those other people wanted to do it. They were just all scared of him.”


"The only two people who wanted to do the damn thing from what I heard talkin' was ... the two guys."


"And I'm not gonna be like one and say 'Oh yeah, oh I'm all for it' like I was gonna act tough because I wasn't."


"I never once ever said I wanted to be involved in any of that kinda of sh*t."


Briscoe said Laboucan and the three others piled into his car and told him to drive around.


Laboucan was talking about picking someone up and killing them, but Briscoe said nobody took him seriously.


“I don’t think they thought he was going to do it. I didn’t believe it either.”


As Briscoe waited in his car, the foursome dashed into West Edmonton Mall and returned with two girls – one of them Nina Courtepatte.


On the pretext of going to a party, they drove around and finally stopped at the golf course.


Briscoe said Laboucan took a pair of pliers, a hammer and a length of pipe from the trunk of the car.


From there, Briscoe said his memory became a blur.


He managed to describe how Laboucan and the youth, nicknamed "Pyro," lay on top of Courtepatte during the sex assault, and how she cried, “Don’t, don’t,” and “Please don’t hurt me.”


Briscoe said he never touched Nina except to calm her down.


"I hugged her or somethin' like that. I remember telling her, 'It's gonna be OK. Just shut up,' 'cause she was screaming ... I told her to be quiet. Everything's gonna be good."


With help from Const. Brophy, who left a photo of Nina in plain sight on the interview room table, Briscoe detailed what happened next.


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"OK you said somebody choked the life out her. Who was that?"


"The big guy," Briscoe said.


"The big guy? That's Joe Laboucan. So, he, you're saying he choked the life out of her ... and the other guy – who was the other guy?


"The short guy," Briscoe said.


"The little short guy."


"None of those other people wanted to do it. They were all scared of him."


Briscoe then described the strangling sounds from Courtepatte’s throat as Laboucan throttled her from behind with a length of pipe.


“I could hear it,” he said. “Oh my God, I can still hear it.”


Briscoe said he tried to walk away to his car where the two girls were, but every time something forced him to stay.


“Every time I’d walk away, I’d hear a noise and turn around,” he told Brophy. “You’d do the same. I guarantee it.”


He said Laboucan told one of the others in the group to finish Courtepatte off with a knife.


"And I wasn't about to step in, man, you know what I mean?" Briscoe said. "This other person has got two blades."


After it was clear Nina was dead, Briscoe drove the group back to Edmonton. On the trip, Laboucan talked about killing Nina's friend.


"Everybody in the car was trying to convince him not to kill the other girl. I was sitting and talking to that other girl, telling her it was OK. 'I'm not gonna let 'em hurt you.' "


Nina's friend was returned to the city, uninjured. Back at Briscoe's apartment, the foursome went to sleep.


Later, Briscoe cleaned a bloody wrench that was left in his car.


"I was thinking, 'Oh, I'll just throw it away.' And then I thought, 'Well, what am I doing? Why throw away a perfectly good wrench?' "


RCMP arrested Briscoe and his 17-year-old girlfriend at the Windmill Motel, west of Edmonton, on April 11th, 2005.


On the tape Briscoe denied he helped hold Courtepatte down and insisted he played no part in the girl’s sex assault or beating.


"Screwing kids is not my piece of pie, I just can't. It's not me, man," he said. "I can't kill people."


“When this person was still alive I did not touch that person. I just basically got tied into something I didn’t want to get tied into.”


“The whole time I’m thinking 'OK, I’m going to get it. I’m going to get it.' "


"I just don't want to sit in jail for forever for something I didn't do – it just doesn't seem right."


"I'm not the ringleader here. I'm not the person that initally did this."


"I was just going along for a ride that I didn't had no idea, like you told me in the beginning, that's basically the truth right?"


Throughout the voir dire hearing, Briscoe and Laboucan sat at opposite ends of a long prisoner's box, not acknowledging each other's presence.


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January 16th, 2007


When Michael Briscoe was placed in a police cell after being arrested, the RCMP placed an undercover officer next to him.


Const. Leonard McCoshen said he introduced himself to Briscoe as "Mike." He told him he had been picked up by police for not paying $1,500 in outstanding fines and driving without insurance.


For his part, Briscoe told the officer he was being held behind bars because something had gone wrong.


"He was involved in a situation that got out of hand, and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said McCoshen.


The officer testified he wasn't told much about the case prior to being asked to share a cell with Briscoe overnight between April 11th and 12th, 2005.


McCoshen said Briscoe asked him what he knew about DNA.


The Mountie talked about what he could remember from watching the popular television show CSI.


He said Briscoe demonstrated how he had grabbed someone by the wrist and asked if his DNA could be recovered.


Briscoe also said a girl was in his house and had somehow died [one report suggested he used Nina Courtepatte's name when referring to the girl].


"I told him if she was in his house, his DNA would be on her," said McCoshen.


McCoshen also testified the Briscoe said he held back in his statements to police.


“He had told about 80 per cent of the story and he was going to keep 20 per cent to himself, and he was not ever going to tell anyone," McCoshen told the court.


The undercover officer said Briscoe told him that he didn't tell the whole story to police because he was trying to protect someone.


Briscoe's defence lawyer, Charles Davison, drew the court's attention to the admission hoping to pry apart the case against his client.


"The undercover operator had said things that [Briscoe] hadn't told you everything," Davison told RCMP Const. Kelly Brophy on cross-examination.


Davison also pointed to portions of the taped interviews in which Briscoe asked to talk to his lawyer and was denied.


"[Briscoe] asks a question if talking to his lawyer would help," Davison said.


On the tape, Brophy told Briscoe that his lawyer "is not coming."


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January 18th, 2007


The voir dire hearing concluded with defence lawyer Charles Davison arguing that the RCMP violated Michael Briscoe's rights during several interviews conducted on April 11th and 12th, 2005.


Davison said that RCMP did not give Briscoe proper access to his lawyer during the interviews.


He also suggestd Const. Kelly Brophy made subtle promises that Briscoe would get police protection or be released from jail if he cooperated.


There was also an implication made that the other four accused in the case had already made statements, but that wasn't true, Davison said.


Davison also said Briscoe's statements to an undercover officer in a holding cell were unreliable as there was no audio recording made and the officer made his notes from memory.


Court of Queen's Bench Justice Brian Burrows was to rule later whether the video interviews and the jail cell conversations would be admissible during the trial against Briscoe and Joseph Laboucan.


Their first-degree murder trial was set to begin January 22nd, 2007.


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January 22nd, 2007


The first-degree murder trial of Michael Erin Briscoe, now aged 36, and Joseph Wesley Laboucan, now aged 21, began in Edmonton's Provincial Law Courts Building.


Their trial was expected to take six weeks.


For complete coverage, visit the Briscoe-Laboucan Trial page.


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February 11th, 2007


The Edmonton Sun reported that a group of Calgarians planned to appear at the trial of Michael Briscoe and Joseph Laboucan as part of their effort to lobby the federal government to reinstate the death penalty.


Interviewed by the Sun, Merle Terlesky said he represented a citizen group who felt that anyone capable of such a "horrendous" crime as Nina's murder should be punished accordingly.


“We're trying to draw some national attention to reigniting the debate on capital punishment,” Terlesky said while admitting no verdict had yet been made in the Courtepatte case.


“Is it in the interest of society at large to house [criminals] after committing such a heinous crime? I question if someone like that is rehabilitatable.”


For more about Terlesky's effort and the issue of the death penalty, visit the Why Edmonton? Capital Punishment page.


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March 1st, 2007


For over a month, Peacha Atkinson had been sitting in an Edmonton courtroom listening to her daughter Nina being described as a simple street kid, a gullible girl who lived in the fantasy world of West Edmonton Mall.


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"Nina was not a mall rat," Peacha said defiantly.


After weeks of enduring horrific testimony in the trial of Michael Briscoe and Joseph Laboucan, the diminutive woman could take it no longer and spoke out against the image being painted of her daughter in court.


"That's not at all who she was," Atkinson insisted.


For more about the grieving mother had to say, visit the She was not a mall rat page.


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March 5th, 2007


Nina Courtepatte's mother, Peacha Atkinson, and dozens of others held an emotional rally outside Edmonton's Law Courts building.


Amid the sound of a Unity drum song, families angry over what they feel were lenient sentences for violent young offenders gathered to collect signatures on petitions to be sent to the federal government to demand tougher sentencing.


Atkinson was motivated to joins the ranks of Kelly Rolston and Gary Hunt in their effort to bring change to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Day after day of facing the men accused of murdering her daughter, Atkinson said she had to do something.


For more about Peacha Atkinson's petition drive, visit the March 5th, 2007 rally page.


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March 10th, 2007


Hundreds of Albertans whose lives have been touched by violence gathered in Edmonton's Sir Winston Churchill Square.


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They had come together to collect signatures on petitions calling for stiffer penalties under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.


For rally organiser Gary Hunt, the event was the culmination of six months of work collecting signatures and keeping the issue of what he felt was needed change to the Youth Criminal Justice Act before the public.


One of the surprise faces at the rally was Peacha Atkinson, Nina's mother. She said the many recent acts of violence spurred her to action.


"I just got tired of sitting and reading it in the newspaper," she said. "The youths are still getting away with it, and I want to stop it because it's just getting out of hand."


For more about the rally, visit the Why Edmonton? A Silent March For Justice page.


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March 12th, 2007


The first-degree murder trial of the second of three teens charged began in an Edmonton youth court before Court of Queen's Bench Justice June Ross.


Nicknamed "Cindy" for the purpose of this narrative, she cannot be identified under provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.


Cindy, now 19, was Michael Briscoe's girlfriend. She has already testified as a Crown witness at his trial.


For complete coverage, visit the "Cindy" Trial page.


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March 23rd, 2007


The much-anticipated verdict in the trial of Joseph Laboucan and Michael Briscoe led authorities to move the hearing to the largest space in Edmonton's Law Courts Building.


When the session convened, a packed courtroom waited for Court of Queen's Bench Justice Brian Burrows to announce his decision in a case largely built on the testimony of a group of self-described liars, most of whom faced charges in Nina's death themselves.


For complete coverage, visit the Briscoe-Laboucan Trial page.


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March 26th, 2007


Absent from the media spotlight of the day was Peacha Atkinson, Nina's mother.


While the trial of Joseph Laboucan and Michael Briscoe had ended, for the diminutive aboriginal woman reliving the ordeal of her daughter's death had yet to finish.


During a break in the "Cindy" trial and three days after Justice Burrows' decision, Atkinson spoke about how she felt when the verdicts for Briscoe and Laboucan were read.


For complete coverage, visit the March 26th, 2007 entry of the "Cindy" trial.


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March 30th, 2007


Disatisfied with the outcome of the Michael Erin Briscoe and Joseph Wesley Laboucan trial, Peacha Atkinson set herself up outside Edmonton's Law Courts Building with a new petition in hand.


Atkinson was calling on Provincial Justice Minister Ron Stevens to order an appeal of Michael Briscoe's acquittal.


The next day, at the Canadian Native Friendship Centre, a round dance was held to remember Nina and other victims of violence.


Full details about Atkinson's new petition drive and the round dance can be read here.


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April 13th, 2007


An Alberta Justice spokesman said that the Crown decided to appeal the March 23rd, 2007 acquittal of Michael Briscoe after "careful review" of the judge's written decision.


"It is important to note the Crown can only appeal an acquittal if we believe a judge interpreted the law incorrectly or applied the wrong law," the spokesman said.


The Crown will argue in the Court of Appeal of Alberta that Burrows made several errors in law.


For complete coverage, visit the Briscoe-Laboucan Trial page.


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April 17th, 2007


On December 8th, 2006 a young offender nicknamed "Pyro" pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a Stony Plain youth court. Charges of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault were dropped in exchange for the guilty plea.


On the day Pyro was to be sentenced the young offender announced he had changed lawyers. His new legal counsel requested a delay in the sentencing to allow for a review of the case.


The request was granted and Judge Janet Franklin agreed to put off sentencing until May 23rd, 2007.


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April 19th, 2007


Six days after the Crown announced its appeal of Michael Briscoe's acquittal, the other adult charged with the death of Nina Courtepatte filed his own appeal.


Joseph Laboucan filed his papers with the Alberta Court of Appeal and asked they grant him a new trial. Laboucan claims the judge presiding over his case made a series of errors in law.


For complete coverage, visit the Briscoe-Laboucan Trial page.


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April 23rd, 2007


Closing arguments in the trial of the second teen charged with the murder of Nina Courtepatte took place with Crown prosecutor John Watson presenting his case first.


Watson said "Cindy" knew of fellow mall rat Joseph Laboucan's plan to kill Nina Courtepatte and pointed to evidence that suggested Laboucan had told her at least the day before the murder.


Only two spectators were in the gallery to listen to Watson's arguments – one of them Peacha Atkinson, Nina's mother. At times during the Briscoe-Laboucan trial, the courtroom was packed to point of turning spectators away.


For complete coverage, visit the "Cindy" Trial page.


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April 30th, 2007


Justice June Ross ruled that a 19-year-old woman charged with the beating death of Nina Courtepatte was not guilty of first-degree murder.


The judge did find "Cindy" guilty of manslaughter.


For complete coverage, visit the "Cindy" Trial page.


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May 5th, 2007


Peacha Atkinson, along with relatives and friends of Shane Rolston, Joshua Hunt, Dylan McGillis and Sara Easton, all teenagers killed in the Edmonton area over the past two years, gathered in the basement of Sacred Heart Church.


Together they held the inaugural meeting of the Citizens' Rights Group, an organisation whose mandate is to lobby government for improvements to the criminal justice system.


For more about their efforts, visit the Why Edmonton? Citizens' Rights Group Forms page.


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May 7th, 2007


On the day a fourth teen charged with Nina Courtepatte's death was to go to trial, the now 17-year-old fired her lawyer. The move prompted a delay in the proceedings for possibly as long as a year.


The girl, who goes by the nickname Buffy, insisted she could no longer continue with Gary Smith as her lawyer.


"I believe I do want to dismiss him and get a new lawyer," she said in court.


The teen's decision led to a sharp rebuke from Court of Queen's Bench Justice Sterling Sanderman who was to oversee the case.


"You cannot proceed without a lawyer," the justice said. "This is an extremely serious matter. You're charged with the most serious crime in this country."


Sanderman reminded Buffy the trial date had been set for almost a year, and that it would be difficult to schedule a new trial soon.


"That's what we're looking at here," he said. "You will probably not get a trial until this time 2008."


Sanderman pointed out to Buffy she would have to spend another year in custody – but she was adamant.


"I've thought about it enough," she said.


Buffy's former lawyer gave no reason for the decision, referring only to unexplained "ethical" differences that permitted him to get off the record.


"I cannot continue to act for [the accused]," Smith said.


Buffy was set to next to appear in court August 3rd, 2007 for matters not disclosed by media. She remained in custody at a young offenders centre in Calgary.


In the courtroom sat Peacha Atkinson, Nina's mother. She had been in court for virtually every day of the three other trials relating to her daughter's death. For Peacha, it too means a year before hearing the final word on Nina's death.


Buffy's action mirrored one taken by her boyfriend and fellow-accused teen Pyro when he changed lawyers at what was supposed to be his sentencing hearing on April 17th. His date was set for May 23rd, 2007.


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May 9th, 2007


Nine days after Justice June Ross found 19-year-old "Cindy" guilty of manslaughter, the Crown announced it would launch an appeal of the verdict.


Prosecutors John Watson and Anne Schutte are of the opinion that Justice Ross erred when she found that the then 17-year-old teen had provided "unequivocal" and "timely" notice that she was abandoning the attack on Nina when she left the crime scene.


For complete coverage, visit the "Cindy" Trial page.


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May 23rd, 2007


On December 8th, 2006 a young offender nicknamed "Pyro" pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a Stony Plain youth court. Charges of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault were dropped in exchange for the guilty plea.


On April 17th, 2007 Pyro was to be sentenced but the young offender announced he had changed lawyers.


Now facing the new sentencing date, Pyro's new lawyer requested more time from the court to decide whether he would take on the teen's case.


The request was granted and Judge Janet Franklin agreed to put off sentencing again – for a month [no date was specified in media reports].


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June 4th, 2007


The first teen to plead guilty in the case of Nina Courtepatte appeared in court and explained he had earlier wanted to change his plea with the help of a new lawyer.


Pyro then re-entered his original guilty plea and as a result the court ordered the man to undergo a psychiatric assessment over the summer.


A sentencing date was scheduled for the fall of 2007 but a specific date was not reported.


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July 16th, 2007


Justice June Ross was expected to hear sentencing arguments from Crown and defence lawyers. Instead Ross heard a single argument from the defence, challenging the constitutionality of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.


Cindy's lawyer, Colleen Connolly, argued the current onus of having the defence prove that a young offender should be sentenced as a youth violates her client's constitutional rights.


For complete coverage, visit the "Cindy" Trial page.


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