A shrine dedicated to young Bentlee has been set up at the Sumners' home in Prince Albert. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

‘Our family needs closure’: Prince Albert triple homicide case adjourned again

Jan 13, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Nearly 10 months after losing his grandson and nearly losing his granddaughter, Prince Albert’s Corey Ferchoff says he’s tired of court delays and wants closure for the family.

The latest court hearing to address Nathaniel Carrier’s charges was held Wednesday morning at Prince Albert Provincial Court, and within minutes the case was adjourned to Feb. 1. Ferchoff, who invited paNOW to come to the family’s home to talk, explained the court process has been very frustrating.

“Everytime we go to hear about the court case, it’s always put off and nothing is happening. Our family needs closure obviously,” Ferchoff said.

Carrier was arrested in late March, 2020, and subsequently charged in the deaths of his parents, his young son Bentlee, and the attempted murder of his young daughter Kendrah.

Kendrah returned home nearly two months later, after a lengthy recovery in hospital that required eight surgeries.

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A photo taken of Kendrah at the time of a special parade last March in her honour. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Carrier has yet to appear in court, even by video. The explanation provided by the defence for the latest adjournment was “procedural questions” posed to the Crown that require answers. No further details were given. Kendrah’s mother Heather Lynn Sumners explained she was informed by the Crown the lawyers are talking, but no further details were provided to her with respect to the subject of the conversations.

“I just know there’s something going on,” she said, adding she’s been told by victim services, the case could take up to two years before being concluded.

This past Christmas represented the family’s first without Bentlee, and both Sumners and Ferchoff acknowledged how hard it was without Ben. A shrine of the young boy was set up on a mantle in the family’s living room. Realizing the possibility the case could go to trial, forcing the family to re-live and hear all the details of the case, Ferchoff said he’s not worried about that.

“At the end of the day you’ve got to put your trust in the justice system but the fact it’s dragging its heels is really frustrating,” he said, adding for him personally, the whole case continues to have an emotional toll.

“There’s days that I go to work and I melt down… I just go home,” he said.

Kendrah’s update

During paNOW’s conversation with Ferchoff and Sumners, Kendrah sat at the kitchen table working on one of her favourite Disney puzzles, and talked excitedly about her two cats. She aspires to become a nurse one day. Commenting on his granddaughter’s recovery, Ferchoff said her progress is “phenomenal”, but added Kendrah’s younger three-year-old brother is having a tough time understanding.

“Even out of the blue you are playing with him and all of a sudden ‘Ben…where’s Ben…Ben gone'”

“He’s still waiting for Ben to come home.”

Ferchoff also said he cannot imagine what the other side of the family is going through, noting they too suffered a loss. He also expressed a thank you on behalf of the family to the community which continues to support the family and the work of the Prince Albert Police Service.

The latest court hearing

According to the Supreme Court of Canada’s Jordan decision in 2016, limits are placed on the amount of time that can pass between the laying of charges and the anticipated end of a trial, barring any extenuating circumstances. For matters before provincial court, it’s 18 months and 30 months at Queen’s Bench. Acknowledging the time that has passed since the charges were laid, Judge Schiefner asked defence lawyer Terra Lennox-Zepp if she had spoken to her client about the waiving of delay.

“We have generally,” Lennox-Zepp replied.

Schiefner further noted these were “important matters” and encouraged Lennox-Zepp to speak to her client. She said she would look further into it. The judge at the previous hearing in December also remarked about the age of this case and encouraged Lennox-Zepp at that time to move the case forward by setting pre-trial dates.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell