|
Mysterious letter halts elevator death
inquiry
Last Updated Fri, 14 Jan 2005 06:42:07 EST
CBC News
 EDMONTON
- An inquiry into the death of a 16-year-old who fell down an
elevator shaft at the Edmonton courthouse last January came to an
abrupt halt when a mysterious letter was presented to the judge
Wednesday afternoon.
Inquiry counsel David Syme said the letter was
written to the province's solicitor general, but wouldn't say when
it was written or what was in it.
The inquiry, which began Monday, is looking
into the Jan. 22, 2004, death of Kyle Young, who was handcuffed,
shackled and with two guards when he fell five storeys, becoming
suspended by his neck on a structural bracket.
Syme said the letter was brought to his
attention over the weekend and he "wrestled with whether to disclose
it."
Peter Royal, the lawyer for the guards, asked
that the inquiry be adjourned. He said the letter is "significant
enough that I have to seek further instruction from my clients. It
has serious implications."
Judge Jerry LeGrandeur is expected to rule on
the letter Thursday.
Kyle Young's sister, Amanda, said she thinks
the document could be a turning point in the inquiry.
"I'm like anxious, nervous, excited – all
three, I think – to find out what's [in] that," she said late
Wednesday. "I want to know."
The inquiry has already heard from a young
offender who said Young was loudly demanding food before the guards
removed him from his cell.
The young offender, who can't be identified,
said they went around a corner and he heard a series of bangs.
Alberta Justice determined that the guards
pushed Young against the door with enough force to knock it off its
tracks, but also said the guards used a "modest" amount of restraint
and followed normal procedures.
Alberta Justice also decided that there was
insufficient evidence to charge anyone in connection with the death,
based on an investigation done by Edmonton police homicide
detectives.
|
