April 7, 2015
Standing Hearing for Inquest Into Death of Devon Sampson
A standing hearing will take place to determine who can participate in the upcoming inquest into the death of Devon Sampson, 34, of Winnipeg.
On November 23, 2013, Sampson was found in his cell at the Stony Mountain Institution, partially suspended by a shoelace around his neck. Emergency medical personnel attempted resuscitation but were unsuccessful. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was hanging. Sampson’s medical history included schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Under the Fatality Inquiries Act, an inquest has been called by the chief medical examiner. Inquests explore the circumstances and events leading to deaths for the purpose of finding out what, if anything, could be done to help prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.
Before the inquest can begin, the judge will decide who can participate and question witnesses by having standing at the inquest. Those interested in applying for standing should contact Stephanie Harland, inquest counsel, at 204-945-6832 or stephanie.harland@gov.mb.ca by Apr. 17.
The standing hearing will be held on Apr. 28 at 9 a.m. in courtroom 405 at the Manitoba Law Courts Complex, 408 York Ave., Winnipeg.
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