NWT mother searching for answers following son’s death

Months after her son died at a jail in Edmonton, a woman in Fort Resolution is still trying to understand what happened.

Shirley King says she was notified by an RCMP officer that her 36-year-old son, Anthony King, had died while at the Edmonton Remand Centre on December 19, 2024.

“I’m grieving and I’m asking myself every day why,” she said, adding that her son was “a good man” and died while in the care of the Alberta government.

King said despite asking for information, she has not received any reports confirming the cause or circumstances of her son’s death.

“I’ve been getting the runaround,” she said.

“I need justice, I need closure.”

King said she had to dig into her savings to bring her son home and is hoping to be reimbursed for at least some of the cost.

She said she buried Anthony in Fort Resolution on January 9, three weeks before his 37th birthday.

Police deemed death ‘non-criminal’

Few details are available about Anthony’s death.

A spokesperson for the Edmonton Police Service told Cabin Radio it was aware of “a sudden death” at the Edmonton Remand Centre on December 19, 2024. The police service said the death had been “deemed non-criminal” and it could not release further information.

NWT RCMP confirmed to Cabin Radio that, on behalf of the Edmonton Police Service, an officer in Fort Resolution had notified someone in the community about the death of a family member shortly before 4am on December 20, 2024.

King said she believes her son was killed by other inmates at the remand centre. She said another young man was killed at the jail the day before her son’s death.

Police have previously said they were investigating the deaths of two inmates over a two-day period at the Edmonton Remand Centre in December 2024.

According to the Edmonton Police Service, 26-year-old Nathaniel Burchat was injured during a fight at the remand centre and taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries on December 18, 2024.

An autopsy determined Burchat had died from blunt head trauma and listed his manner of death as homicide. Kai Keller, 32, was charged with second-degree murder in Burchat’s death.

What happens when an inmate dies in custody?

According to Alberta’s Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services, a board of inquiry is convened to internally review deaths in provincial custody.

The ministry said an independent board of inquiry has been established to investigate the December 19, 2024 death of an inmate at the Edmonton Remand Centre. The ministry said it could not share further details while the investigation is ongoing.

King said she has not been notified of an inquiry into her son’s death.

In-custody deaths in Alberta may also be subject to a public fatality inquiry, a legal proceeding before a court of justice that helps to clarify the circumstances of death and may provide recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

The ministry said next of kin are notified when a public inquiry has been established and, once it concludes, are provided a copy of the report before it is made public.

But that process can take years.

There are no mandated timelines for public fatality inquiries to be completed in Alberta.

Before a public inquiry can be held, the public safety ministry said a number of steps must take place. That includes an investigation by the chief medical examiner, a review and recommendation by the fatality review board, and an order for a public inquiry by the justice minister.

The ministry said a public fatality inquiry will be stayed until other pending investigations or legal proceedings conclude.

Criticisms of remand centre

The Edmonton Remand Centre primarily holds people awaiting trial or sentencing as well as inmates serving sentences under two years. It opened in 2013 due to overcrowding at the previous facility, which has since been demolished, and is currently Canada’s largest jail.

The remand centre has the capacity to hold 1,952 inmates.

The Alberta government said there were 20 in-custody deaths at the provincial jail between 2021 and 2024. In 2023-24, approximately 9,000 people were admitted to the centre with a daily average of 1,506 inmates in custody, according to the province.

There has been criticism of health services provided to inmates at the jail.

In October 2023, an investigation into a whistleblower complaint by Alberta’s Public Interest Commissioner found medical staff at the Edmonton Remand Centre did not provide treatment that met the standard of care for five of seven inmates.

Alberta Health Services said it has made improvements to address all of the recommendations from the investigation.

A fatality inquiry completed last year into the death of an inmate in 2020 found the size of the mental health team at the remand centre was “completely inadequate to respond in a timely way to individuals who are depressed and may be suicidal.”

The Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services said correctional peace officers are trained to provide immediate first aid in the event of a medical emergency. The ministry said emergency medical services are contacted for additional support when needed.

Ollie Williams contributed reporting.