Released on January 2, 2018
A public inquest into the death of Kevin Umpherville will be held January 15-19, 2018, at the Sandman Hotel at 310 Circle Drive in Saskatoon.The first day of the inquest is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with remaining start times to be determined by the coroner.
Umpherville, 22, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre on December 31, 2015. He was taken to Royal University Hospital, where he died on January 15, 2016.
Section 20 of The Coroners Act, 1999 states that the Chief Coroner shall hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person's death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.
The Office of the Chief Coroner is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury can also make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
Coroner Brent Gough, Q.C. of Saskatoon will preside at the inquest.
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For more information, contact:
Jennifer Graham
Justice
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8621
Email: jennifer.graham@gov.sk.ca