Mother of murder victim: “I can’t understand this”

by battlefordsNOW staff

Carol Laverdiere said her daughter Tiki was just trying to be there for Nicole Cook at her son Tristen Cook-Buckle’s funeral when “something terrible happened.”

Carol made those comments outside of court after five people charged in connection to Tiki’s death appeared. The court room gallery was a sea of red shirts with images of Tiki and Ashley Morin, who has been missing for over a year.

Cook, 36, is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle. The Edmonton woman was arrested on July 31 in Fort Saskatchewan.

Jesse Sangster, 23, was arrested on July 28 in Edmonton. He is facing charges for accessory after the fact to murder and theft of a motor vehicle.

Both made their first appearance Friday morning and were remanded into custody and ordered to have no contact with several individuals who may be co-accused or offer evidence in the case. Both will return to court on Aug. 30.

Carol told reporters it was an emotional experience for her to see the suspects in court.

“They are a bunch of punks and cowards,” she said. “How dare they do this to an innocent beautiful young woman.”

Carol said she didn’t recognize any of the suspects except for Cook.

She said seeing Cook facing charges is difficult, but was a relief as she had suspected Cook may have been implicated.

“I was boiling; I was mad,” she said. “How else would I feel to see somebody that took away my baby.”

She said Tiki didn’t know anyone from the Battlefords and came to the area with Cook to support her at her son’s funeral. While Nicole described herself in the media as a close friend of Tiki’s, Carol said that is a lie.

“We had this feeling it was her at the beginning, but we couldn’t say anything,” Carol said.

Shayla Orthner and Danita Thomas, who are charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle, made their second court appearance later Friday morning. They were the first two arrested in the case on July 20 and 23.

Both were remanded into custody and will return to court on Sept. 6 via closed-circuit television from Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert.

Legal aid is working to find representation for Orthner.

Brent Checkosis, 18, is facing charges for accessory after the fact to murder, improperly interfering with a human body and theft of a motor vehicle. He appeared via CCTV from Saskatoon and was remanded until Sept. 6.

With five already facing charges and the possibility others will too, Carol couldn’t make sense of the situation that took Tiki’s life away.

“I can’t fathom this,” she said of why so many are facing charges in the death of her “innocent, big hearted, beautiful daughter.”

“I can’t understand it.”

Laverdiere was reported missing on May 12 and last seen in North Battleford on April 29. Human remains were found in a rural area outside of the city on July 11 and confirmed to be the Edmonton woman’s on July 17.