deadmonton 2005 - nina louise courtepatte - the "cindy" trial
may 9th, 2007

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


Two adults, and three teens not identified by provision of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, were charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.


<< april 30th, 2007 | the "cindy" trial | july 16th, 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.


Law Courts Building

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.


Court had heard Cindy told the four other mall rats in the group that Nina's friend Kitty was was cold and "didn't need to see this." Cindy then took Kitty to Michael Briscoe's car as the assault on Nina continued.


The Crown's appeal of Cindy's conviction was the second in the three trials associated with the Courtepatte murder.


On April 13th, 2007 the Crown announced it was appealing the acquittal of Michael Briscoe. Briscoe was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.


The first person to go to trial, a teen by the nickname of Pryo, pleaded guilty to the same charges. He was to be sentenced April 17th but told court he had changed lawyers, causing a delay until May 23rd, 2007.


Pyro's girlfriend Buffy was to go to trial May 7th but the woman fired her lawyer, causing a delay that could last a year.


No date for either appeal was announced. Sentencing arguments in Cindy's trial remain set for July 16th, 2007.



The trial continued July 16th, 2007