THUNDER BAY -- Multiple reviews will be conducted examining the tragic death of an eight-year-old girl in a violent domestic assault earlier this week.
In an email response sent Saturday morning to tbnewswatch.com, Thunder Bay Police Service chief J.P. Levesque said the deaths of eight-year-old Brandi Marie Wingert and the 38-year-old man accused of her murder will be thoroughly examined by a series of experts.
The suspect allegedly broke into the Donald Street basement apartment of his ex-girlfriend early Monday morning, assaulting the woman and her daughter.
The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries while Brandi was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.
The suspect then fled the scene before being located by police on a rural road, where he was arrested following a four hour standoff.
He died in custody with injuries police have said appeared to be sustained prior to being apprehended.
Levesque said the death of Brandi will be probed by both the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee and the Paediatric Death Review Committee.
The two provincial bodies are specialized committees that are made up of experts who assist the Office of the Chief Coroner to review and make recommendations about specific cases involving death.
Levesque added there is a sergeant on the local force who sits on the domestic review committee.
In addition, the province’s Special Investigations Unit is currently investigating 38-year-old suspect’s death. The SIU is a provincial agency that conducts an investigation circumstances between civilians and police that result in serious injury or death.
Once those reviews have been completed, Levesque expects there will be one coroner’s inquest into both of the deaths.
