The province has announced a public inquest into the death of a 20-year-old man whose remains were found in a burnt-out vehicle on the Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation three years ago.
A 2019 coroner’s report determined Brennan Ahenakew-Johnstone’s death was accidental and he died of smoke inhalation and burns.
The report also says the fire was caused by a single-vehicle collision.
However, there have long been unanswered questions surrounding Ahenakew-Johnstone’s death.
RCMP were aware of a burning vehicle on the reserve on the morning of May 10, 2018 but Ahenakew -Johnstone’s remains were not extracted from the vehicle until the next day.
His mother Lisa Johnstone has also long maintained she believes some sort of foul play was involved.
She has said her son was not a big drinker and didn’t do drugs but may have fallen in with the wrong crowd on the night he was last seen.
The coroner’s inquest will be held Aug. 23-27 in Prince Albert.
The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that death happened, medical cause and manner of death.
A coroner’s jury can make recommendations on how similar deaths may be prevented in the future but does not find criminal fault.
Coroner Blaine Beavan will preside over the inquest.
(PHOTO: Brennan Ahenakew-Johnstone. File photo.)