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The night of
Seventeen-year-old Neil Stonechild and his friend Jason Roy leave a house party shortly before midnight, in storming, -25C weather.
Illustration: Neil Stonechild (Allison Grapes) -
What Jason Roy saw
Roy is stopped by city police constables Brad Senger and Larry Hartwig in the wee hours of the morning. He said they had Stonechild in the back seat of their cruiser, and Stonechild was bloodied, screaming for help and yelling that the police were going to kill him.
Photo: Jason Roy (Greg Pender) -
The body
Stonechild’s frozen body is discovered by workers in the undeveloped, industrial 800 block of 57th Street. Sgt. Keith Jarvis of the morality unit is assigned to investigate. -
Jarvis' report
Jarvis writes a report saying the Stonechild file should be referred to the major crimes unit. He goes on a four-day leave.
Photo: Keith Jarvis (Greg Pender) -
Stonechild's funeral
Stonechild’s funeral is held at Westwood Funeral Chapel, where family observe two parallel cuts on the bridge of his nose.
Photo: Family photos of Neil Stonechild (Greg Pender) -
Jarvis' file
Jarvis concludes the Stonechild file. His report doesn’t address why Stonechild was missing a shoe, how he walked nine kilometres to an industrial area in a snow storm, or how he incurred cuts on his nose. Jason Roy’s statement that he saw Stonechild in the back of Senger’s and Hartwig’s cruiser is excluded from the report.
Photo: Keith Jarvis (Gord Waldner) -
Stonechild's family comes forward
StarPhoenix journalist Terry Craig reports Stonechild’s mother, Stella Bignell, and sister disagree with Jarvis’s report, and suspect foul play.
Photo: Stella Bignell (Richard Marjan) -
Stonechild's clothes destroyed
Police dispose Stonechild’s clothes at the direction of Jarvis. -
Brian Trainor's column
In a regular humour column in the Saskatoon Sun, police officer Brian Trainor describes two fictional cops who pick up a drunk man and drop him off on the outskirts of the city, near the Queen Elizabeth Power Station.
Photo: Brian Trainor (Greg Pender) -
Stonechild file destroyed
At some point during 1998 (exact date unknown), the original file investigating Neil Stonechild’s death is destroyed by Saskatoon police during a routine purge of old files. -
Rodney Naistus found
The body of aboriginal man Rodney Naistus is discovered in a field near the Queen Elizabeth power station. -
Another body, Night comes forward
Lawrence Wegner’s frozen body is discovered near where Naistus was found.
Aboriginal man Darrell Night tells police that two officers abandoned him in the same area on a recent cold night.
Photo: Darrell Night returns to the spot he was dropped by police on a cold winter night. (PNG) -
Police news conference
In response to inquiries from StarPhoenix reporter Dan Zakreski, police chief Dave Scott announces he has suspended two senior officers in connection with Night’s allegation, and that the allegation will be investigated by the RCMP.
Photo: Dave Scott (Greg Pender) -
Connecting the dots
StarPhoenix reporter Leslie Perreaux writes an aritlce that connects Night’s allegations with Stonechild’s death a decade earlier. -
Stonechild reopened
The RCMP announces they will include Stonechild’s death in their investigation. -
Munson, Hatchen convicted
Police officers Ken Munson and Dan Hatchen, who admitted to abandoning Night in freezing temperatures near the power station, are fired.
Photo: Dan Hatchen (Greg Pender) -
"...by undetermined means"
A Coroner’s Inquest finds Naistus’s freezing death occurred “by undetermined means” because of insufficient evidence. -
Also "by undetermined means"
A Coroner’s Inquest finds Wegner’s freezing death occurred “by undetermined means,” because of insufficient evidence. -
Stonechild inquiry announced
Justice Minister Eric Cline announces a public inquiry into Stonechild’s death.
Photo: Eric Cline (Gord Waldner) -
Chief says Hartwig, Senger were not suspended
Deputy police chief Dan Wiks tells the StarPhoenix that Hartwig and Senger were not suspended during the 2000 RCMP investigation because the police department didn’t know they were suspects in Stonechild’s death.
Photo: Larry Hartwig (front right) and Brad Senger (middle,backrow,black,coat) (Gord Waldner) -
Stonechild inquiry begins
The Commission of Inquiry into the death of Neil Stonechild begins, headed by commissioner Justice David Wright.
Photo: Justice David Wright (Greg Pender) -
GPS for all police cars
Police officials announce that all city police cruisers will be equipped with global positioning tracking technology (GPS). -
Chief apologizes
Saskatoon police admit to the inquiry that the 1990 investigation into Stonechild’s death was inadequate and that mistakes were made. Chief Russell Sabo apologizes to Stonechild’s mother.
Photo: Chief Russell Sabo (Richard Marjan) -
Wiks charged with discreditable conduct
Deputy Chief Wiks is charged with discreditable conduct for lying to the StarPhoenix in 2003 about what he knew about the RCMP investigating Stonechild’s death.
Photo: Dan Wiks (Gord Waldner) -
Wright's final report
Justice Wright releases the final report of the Stonechild inquiry that finds Stonechild was in the custody of Senger and Hartwig on the night he died, and that injuries on his nose were likely made by handcuffs. Senger and Hartwig are suspended.
Photo: Justice David Wright (Greg Pedner) -
Senger and Hartwig fired
Senger and Hartwig are fired. (Exact date unknown - sometime in Nov.)
Photo: Larry Hartwig (front right) and Brad Senger (middle,backrow,black,coat) (Gord Waldner) -
Firing upheld
The Saskatchewan Police Commission upholds Senger’s and Hartwig’s firings after two separate appeal processes.
Photo: Larry Hartwig (Gord Waldner) -
Supreme Court denies appeal
The Supreme Court of Canada denies Senger’s and Hartwig’s applications to appeal the Wright report findings.
Photo: Brad Senger (Gord Waldner)
