BATTLEFORD ‑ A guilty plea of manslaughter has been entered in the Tiki Laverdiere case.
Shayla Orthner has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, but entered a guilty plea to the included offence of manslaughter in connection to the May 2019 death of Laverdiere.
Orthner entered the plea Wednesday morning in Queen's Bench court in Battleford.
Sentencing has been scheduled for July 20, 2022 at Queen's Bench in Battleford. A pre-sentence report has ordered by Justice Richard Danyliuk.
Orthner is the seventh individual to either enter a guilty plea or be found guilty in connection to the Laverdiere case.
Brent Checkosis, Mavis Takakenew, Charles St Savard, Samuel Takakenew and Nikita Cook were all previously sentenced in the case. Danita Thomas will be sentenced June 24 after being found guilty of manslaughter in the case.
Three more accused, Soaring Eagle Whitstone, Nicole Cook and Jesse Sangster, are scheduled for trial in the case.
A publication ban remains in effect regarding all preliminary hearings, trials and sentencing hearings until trials of all the co-accused are concluded.