Alberta
Court of Queen's Bench

ALBERTA - Court of Queen's Bench: R. v. Crane Chief [2002] A.J. No. 1706

FACTS:  Crane Chief was charged with first-degree murder upon his arrest following an undercover investigation.  The investigators alleged having heard the accused admitting responsibility for the killing.  Although the issue of the fitness of the accused to stand trial was raised during the proceedings, Chief was deemed fit.  Dr. R.J. Sutherland, a professor of psychology, ruled out FAS as a potential diagnosis and suggested instead that Crane Chief suffered from ARND.  During his testimony, Dr. Sutherland outlined the accused's deficits that included low intelligence. Moreover, Dr. Sutherland shared his concerns regarding the manner in which the interrogations had been conducted. 

HELD:  The judge found that the Crown had failed to prove Crane Chief's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and deemed that the interrogation techniques used were problematic.  The defendant was acquitted of first-degree murder.