Inquest into 2021 inmate death seeks participants

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This article was published 02/05/2022 (1263 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The province will hold a standing hearing to decide who can participate in the inquest into an inmate death at Women’s Correctional Centre in Headingley.

Amanda Lee Zygarliski, 40, of Winnipeg, died May 15, 2021. She had been eating a meal when she began to choke. She then collapsed, unresponsive.

Resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful, the province said in a news release announcing the hearing Monday. The medical examiner later determined the cause of death to be accidental choking on food.

As required by provincial legislation, the chief medical examiner called an inquest, which will explore the circumstances and events leading up to the death to find out what could be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.

Ahead of the inquest, a provincial court judge will decide who’s able to question witnesses, other than the Crown. People and groups wishing to participate can contact the inquest counsel, Jacqueline Briard, at 204-479-0767 by June 1.

The hearing will be held June 7, at 10 a.m., in courtroom 408 at the Law Courts building in Winnipeg.