Man charged in 14-year-old girl’s slaying was on bail, accused of victimizing her in sex crime

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This article was published 14/05/2024 (518 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba man who was out on bail for allegedly having sexual contact with a teen girl is now charged with killing her.

RCMP were called to the Chemawawin Cree Nation nursing station at about 1:25 a.m. Monday after receiving a report of a severely injured girl, but the 14-year-old victim was dead by the time Mounties arrived.

The small community of approximately 1,200 located about 460 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg on the south shore of Cedar Lake, was already reeling after a 32-year-old woman was slain 10 days ago in the tiny hamlet of Easterville, which is adjacent to the First Nation. Two girls, one 13 years old and the other 14, are charged with second-degree murder. The victim’s cousin, a 35-year-old woman, was also seriously injured.

Kingsley Lachose, 19, was arrested Monday morning in Chemawawin and charged with second-degree murder in the teen’s death. He was also charged with failing to comply with a release order; specifically a condition barring contact with the victim of a sex crime he’s accused of committing last July.

The victim in the slaying and the sexual interference case was the same girl, the Free Press has learned. Sexual interference is the charge laid when an adult is accused of sexually touching a youth under the age of 16.

In January, Lachose was sentenced by a provincial court judge in The Pas to a year of supervised probation after a conviction for an assault cause bodily harm committed in December 2022, a common assault committed last November and a count of mischief to property under $5,000 in April 2023, court records show.

He had spent 90 days in jail ahead of the convictions.

A week after that sentencing, Lachose was accused of failing to comply with his probation on two occasions, records show.

‘Crisis situation’

Quentin Mink, a Chemawawin band councillor, said on social media that a council meeting on “increased violence and illegal activity that continue to impact our community” was scheduled later Tuesday.

He offered “our sincerest condolences to the families” and asked for prayers “during this difficult time.”

Mink’s Facebook post included an image of a document, dated May 7 and signed by Chemawawin Cree Nation’s chief and council, that declared “a crisis situation” because of the “increased violence and illegal activity that continue to impact our community negatively.”

The document said machetes, knives, bear spray and guns are prohibited in the community and that anyone “who causes harm with any of the weapons mentioned will be subject to banishment.”

The notice also mentioned a curfew for 18-year-old residents and another curfew for anyone 17 or younger. Anyone who refuses to shut down a known house party will be subject to removal from the home, said the notice.

Chemawawin Chief Clarence Easter could not be reached Tuesday, but following the May 4 slaying, he expressed shock and concern over the bloodshed in an interview with the Free Press.

Monday’s slaying of the 14-year-old girl marks the 20th homicide in Manitoba RCMP jurisdiction so far this year, compared to a total of 30 in 2023.

“We understand that the community is reeling right now and we’re there to offer our assistance.”–RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel

RCMP spokeswoman Tara Seel said Mounties, as well as the community, are concerned about the recent violence in Chemawawin.

She added that officers were thankful to have been able to quickly make an arrest Monday.

“We understand that the community is reeling right now and we’re there to offer our assistance,” she said.

“We will talk with community leadership, moving forward, about policing and what that’s going to look like and how we work together on that,” she said. “It’s a bit early yet, but I completely understand the community would want to have that conversation.”

Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal said federal investments in education and health care will hopefully have a positive impact on violence in northern Manitoba.

“Our hearts go out to the families, the communities that are suffering through this crazy violence,” he said at an unrelated news conference Tuesday.

“I think we can, most importantly, work with the leadership to make sure that they’re getting all the supports and the resources they need to try to prevent the violence. We believe that through better education, better health care, that in the long term, that is a way to get out of it.”

— with files from Malak Abas

erik.pindera@freeress.mb.ca