Richard Froese
South Peace News
A High Prairie woman charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a seven-month-old toddler last October will soon have a date for a preliminary inquiry.
The matter of Kyra Renee Backs was back in High Prairie provincial court Jan. 27.
Judge S.P. Hinkley set the matter over to March 6 to set a date for a preliminary inquiry.
Crown prosecutor Kelly Payne says the request came from Serge Eta-Ndu, a Crown prosecutor working on the case.
“We’re waiting for an autopsy report,” Payne says.
“It’s a Crown request.”
Backs was 29 when she was charged on Oct. 15, 2022 by the RCMP in connection with the sudden death.
Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit was called to investigate an incident that is being called a homicide.
An RCMP news release issued Oct. 13 by Cpl. Deanna Fontaine, Media Relations Officer, Western Alberta District RCMP, says High Prairie RCMP received a report from the High Prairie RCMP from the High Prairie Health Complex on Oct 6 about 4:30 p.m.
“… of the sudden death of a seven-month-old male infant from High Prairie that occurred at a residence in High Prairie,” Fontaine says.
“An autopsy was conducted on Oct. 11, 2022 at the Edmonton Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the seven- month-old infant’s manner of death was determined to be a homicide.”
Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit took over the lead in the investigation assisted by the High Prairie RCMP, Alberta RCMP Forensic Identification Services and the Western Alberta District RCMP General Investigation Section.