Police in Thunder Bay, Ont., announce members of task force that will re-investigate nine cases

Thunder Bay's police chief, Ontario's chief coroner, and the grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation will be among those who help oversee re-investigations of the deaths of nine Indigenous people in the city.

The nine case reviews were among the recommendations made by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director in its report about systemic racism within the Thunder Bay Police Service.

This week, Thunder Bay police announced the people who will be involved in the re-investigations.

• Police in Thunder Bay, Ont., reopen investigations into deaths of 9 Indigenous people

The executive governance committee, which will oversee the investigations, will be comprised of:

• Retired Ontario judge Stephen Goudge
• Thunder Bay Police Service Chief Sylvie Hauth
• Dirk Huyer, Ontario chief coroner
• Michael Pollanen, Ontario chief forensic pathologist and deputy chief coroner
• Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler

The investigative resource committee will act as an expert resourcefor the investigators themselves, and will be made up of:

• Kona Williams, forensic pathologistand director of Sudbury Forensic Pathology Unit
• Investigating coroner Barry McLellan
• Crown Attorney Susan Orlando
• Kimberly Murray of the Ministry of the Attorney General's Indigenous Justice Division
• And other experts as required

Finally, the blended investigative team, which will actually conduct the new investigations, will include:

• Retired OPP detective superintendent Ken Leppert
• A Nishnawbe AskiPoliceService detective constable
• Five ThunderBayPoliceService detective constables

None of the members of the blended investigative team will have been involved in any of the original investigations into the nine deaths, police have said.

The cases that will be re-investigated are those involving the deaths of:

• Christine Gliddy
• Shania Bob
• Marie Spence
• Aaron Loon
• Sara Moonias
• Jethro Anderson
• Curran Strang
• Kyle Morrisseau
• Jordan Wabasse

Police said in June that the hope is to have the reviews completed within a year.