A man accused of killing a 14-year-old girl, with whom he’d been having an illegal relationship, had defied court orders barring him from contacting her at least twice before he is alleged to have slain her Monday.
Kingsley Lachose, 19, was arrested in Chemawawin Cree Nation and charged with second-degree murder in the death of the girl, who can’t be identified by law. He was also charged with failing to comply with a release order barring contact with her.
Lachose was charged with sexual interference July 22, 2023, after RCMP officers allegedly caught him sleeping in bed with the girl, then 13, when they went to arrest him at a home on unrelated warrants. Officers later witnessed the two kissing.
The illegal relationship reportedly consisted of kissing and hugging. At the time, Lachose told Mounties the two had not had sexual intercourse, court records show.
The charge of sexual interference is laid when an adult is accused of sexually touching a person under the age of 16.
At a sentencing hearing in provincial court in The Pas in January, Lachose pleaded guilty to disobeying multiple court orders, including two incidents in which he was in contact with the girl. He also pleaded guilty to other charges, including assault causing bodily harm and assault, in relation to a separate victim.
Provincial court Judge Lori Ann Hunter sentenced him to the time he had served while in remand and a year of supervised probation. At a bail hearing on the same day, Hunter granted his release on the sexual interference charge on the condition he stay away from the 14-year-old.
Crown attorney Muhammad Riaz had opposed bail, given the man’s repeated contact with the teen and the girl’s non-compliance with the court order barring contact.
“The Crown is gravely concerned that a release plan, of the accused living in Easterville, puts the accused at a substantial risk to reoffend in terms of continued contact with the victim,” said Riaz.
The hamlet of Easterville is adjacent to Chemawawin.
Hunter agreed to the bail due to Lachose’s young age and the fact he is Indigenous. She noted she likely would have considered keeping him in custody if the charge had fallen into the “realm” of sexual assault.
On Monday, the girl was taken to the Chemawawin Cree Nation nursing station at about 1:25 a.m. because she was bleeding profusely. She died by the time Mounties arrived. Lachose was arrested hours later and then charged in her slaying.
RCMP would not reveal whether a weapon was used in the fatal assault. A justice source said Tuesday the girl’s injuries caused severe bleeding.
Chemawawin, a community of 1,200 residents, is about 460 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg on the south shore of Cedar Lake.
Court was told that in November 2023, Lachose, another person and the 14-year-old girl were walking with another woman when Lachose picked up the woman, slammed her to the ground and kicked her, Riaz said, as per the assault charge.
The other person and the 14-year-old participated in kicking her, court was told.
The 14-year-old videotaped the assault while the other person cut off the victim’s hair. Lachose was in breach of his no-contact order during that incident.
In December, RCMP were called to a party in which Lachose and the girl were together, Riaz said, citing another breach of the court order.
Lachose’s lawyer, Cameron McKay, told court his client was drunk each time he disobeyed the court order.
As for the charge of assault causing bodily harm, it relates to an incident in December 2022 in which he repeatedly beat a woman who was his girlfriend at the time. The woman, who later had his child, had swollen eyes and a bruised face, prosecutor Riaz told Hunter at the January sentencing.
Lachose and the woman were at his home on Dec. 4. When she prepared to leave, he became angry and accused her of cheating on him — something she denied, Riaz told court.
He hit and choked her to “make her tell the truth” for about an hour, until his mom arrived, the woman had told Mounties.
As she walked to her grandmother’s house with a friend, Lachose followed. He beat her on the road; stomping on her head while she was on the ground. At that point, she lost consciousness, but a band security vehicle drove toward them and Lachose ran off, Riaz said.
Lachose has a Grade 9 education and is a band member of Chemawawin, having grown up in Easterville, which McKay called “the least resourced community that we (justice officials in The Pas area) attend.”
While he had a relatively stable upbringing, McKay said alcohol was a problem in the home.
McKay told court Lachose had said he doesn’t think he has a drinking problem because he had abstained for long periods. McKay disagreed.
“I would argue that maybe alcohol is a problem no matter and it’s a very sneaky substance that people often don’t realize is a problem until far too late,” said McKay, who encouraged his client to get help, adding his client is polite when not intoxicated.
Judge Hunter encouraged Lachose to seek help while on probation.
erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca
Erik Pindera
Reporter
Erik Pindera reports for the city desk, with a particular focus on crime and justice.