Sask. stabbing suspect who died in custody had no signs of 'blunt force trauma'

Saskatchewan's top coroner says a mass stabbing suspect who died in police custody had no signs of "blunt force trauma."

The development in the investigation into the death of Myles Sanderson was shared on Wednesday during a news conference where chief coroner Clive Weighill announced an inquest into the Labour Day weekend stabbing attacks.

"The preliminary results of the autopsy — this is very preliminary — have found no blunt force trauma," Weighill said.

"There is no external blunt force trauma that was contributing to his death.

RCMP arrested Sanderson, 30, following a Sept. 7 police pursuit. According to RCMP, he went into medical distress shortly after his arrest and was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Sanderson's toxicology, pathology and neuropathology results are still pending, Weighill said.

His arrest came after a nearly four-day manhunt, after 10 people were killed and 18 were injured in a series of stabbings on James Smith Cree Nation and in the village of Weldon on Sept. 4

A second inquest was also announced by Weighill on Wednesday will examine Sanderson's death — a standard practice for in-custody deaths in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatoon Police Service is currently investigating Sanderson's death.

In Saskatchewan, serious police-involved incidents are investigated by an outside police service.

On Sept. 16, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore called for patience in the investigation into Sanderson's death.

Blackmore said she has "seen it written" that police had failed to uphold their duty of care in Sanderson's arrest.

"This statement is extremely premature given we do not yet have information on what led to his death. I ask you all to remember this is not a TV drama where we will have all of the answers by the end of the episode," Blackmore said.

"Complex investigations of this nature take time and we look forward to providing further details once they have been confirmed," she said.

Sanderson's brother, Damien, 31, was found dead in a grassy area on James Smith Cree Nation on Sept. 5 from non-self-inflicted injuries, according to police

During Wednesday's news conference, Weighill said Damien is counted among those killed during the stabbing spree.