BATTLEFORD – A woman charged in the death of 25-year-old Tiki Laverdiere of Edmonton pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter in Battleford Court of King’s Bench Friday and was handed a life sentence.
Nicole Cook, 39, of Edmonton, was scheduled for a jury trial in March on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, improperly interfering with a body, and theft of a vehicle. The trial isn't necessary after Cook's guilty plea to manslaughter.
“The Crown accepted that plea,” defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle told SASKTODAY.ca. “She will be eligible for parole July 31, 2029. We are grateful that this matter is now concluded and the remaining charges against her were stayed by the Crown.”
Pfefferle, and co-counsel Amy Kolenick, entered an agreed statement of facts with Crown Prosecutor Chris Browne and Charlotte Morden Friday. Justice Krista Zerr presided.
Cook has been in custody since she was arrested July 31, 2019, in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.
She is the ninth of the 10 accused to be sentenced. There is a ban on the publication of all preliminary hearings, trials, and sentencing hearings until the trials of all those charged are concluded. The only remaining accused to go to trial is 26-year-old Jesse Sangster from Edmonton. His judge alone trial that was scheduled for Jan. 9 didn’t proceed. Instead, it went to case management on Jan. 13.
Browne told SASKTODAY.ca that Sangster discharged his lawyer and the matter will be brought back before Battleford Court of King's Bench in February.
Laverdiere was reported missing to Battlefords RCMP on May 12, 2019, and one month later, RCMP announced that her disappearance was the result of foul play and they would be investigating her death as a homicide.
On July 11, 2019, a police dog found Laverdiere's remains in a rural area outside of North Battleford while RCMP were conducting a ground search.
Laverdiere was in Saskatchewan April 2019 for the funeral of 20-year-old Tristen Cook-Buckle on Thunderchild First Nation.
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