Regina police won’t release RCMP review of Machiskinic case

The Regina Police Service (RPS) is not releasing the RCMP’s review into how its members handled the investigation of Nadine Machiskinic’s death, despite requests from her family.

The mother of four died in January 2015, after plunging 10 storeys down the Delta Hotel’s laundry chute in Regina.

A coroner’s inquest was completed last year, in addition to the RPS investigation — which concluded no one was criminally responsible for the 29-year-old’s death.

The inquest found it took 60 hours before police were called about Machiskinic’s fall, and more than a year before investigators began looking into two men who were seen on hotel video footage with a woman who appeared to be her.

Initially, the coroner ruled the cause of Machiskinic’s death to be undetermined, but it was later changed to accidental.

Eventually, the jury at a coroner’s inquest shifted the ruling back to undetermined, triggering the RPS to ask the RCMP to review its investigation of her fall.

Regina Police Chief Evan Bray told reporters on Monday those findings will not be made public.

“There are techniques in here around major case management that are, I believe, sensitive to police investigations,” he explained. “There are some things, I believe, police need to be able to hold sacred to not jeopardize future investigations, and really that’s the reason for making this decision.”

The information contained in the report, Bray insisted, doesn’t elaborate on Machiskinic’s case.

Instead, he believes the transcripts from the already-public coroner’s inquests would provide better insight.

As a result of the RCMP review, Bray said new processes will be in place early next year to ensure delays, such as the toxicology report in the Machiskinic investigation, aren’t repeated.

Specifically, two police officers will move to the major case management section.

Investigators and supervisors have received additional training as well.

As for Machiskinic’s case moving forward, Bray said it will remain closed until police receive any new tips.