The Supreme Court of Canada has confirmed the first-degree murder conviction of Soaring Eagle Whitstone, a gang leader involved in the killing of Tiki Laverdiere. Whitstone will serve a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years for the 2019 murder in North Battleford. She was among 10 individuals charged in the heinous crime, with two convicted of first-degree murder.
Whitstone appealed to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, claiming errors in the credibility assessment of a witness and in determining her intent to commit murder. However, the provincial court upheld the guilty verdicts. The case was further taken to the nation’s highest court, which also rejected the appeal in a recent decision.
According to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, Whitstone held a prominent position in the Westside Outlawz gang and was related to Tristen Cook-Buckle, who was murdered in Alberta. Laverdiere, associated with Cook-Buckle in an Edmonton gang, traveled to North Battleford for his funeral in the spring of 2019. Suspicions arose that Laverdiere was involved in Cook-Buckle’s death, leading to her being held captive, tortured, and ultimately killed by a group comprising family, friends, and local gang members.
The provincial appeal ruling noted that Whitstone exerted significant control during the incident. Other individuals implicated in the crime included Nikita Cook (convicted of first-degree murder), Jesse Sangster (pleaded guilty to second-degree murder), Nicole Cook (pleaded guilty to manslaughter), Danita Thomas (convicted of manslaughter), and Shayla Orthner (pleaded guilty to manslaughter). Additionally, three others were found guilty of being accessories after the fact to murder, while one person was convicted of kidnapping.