Military Police Complaints Commission: Fynes inquiry
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The CBC's Leslie MacKinnon is at a Military Police Complaints Commission hearing into the military's investigation of Cpl. Stuart Langridge's 2008 suicide. The Edmonton-based soldier, who had performed tours of duty in Bosnia and Afghanistan, hanged himself in his barracks.
His parents, Shaun and Sheila Fynes, complained to the MPCC about the way the military handled its investigation and the way it communicated with the family.
The inquiry is hearing testimony Wednesday by former soldier Kirk Lackie, a friend of Cpl. Langridge's.
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A crowded room at MPCC this am including two city police and NDP MP Peter Stoffler. Surprise witness is up- an old friend of Cpl Langridge.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:04 PM -
Stoffler hopes to ask a question in QP today re why Fynes have not been reimbursed yet for money spent changing son's death certificate.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:05 PM
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Witness is former soldier Kirk Lackie who is here without his own lawyer. He came forward on his own I think. Has a criminal record.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:06 PM
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Kirk Lackie barricaded himself in his house with guns, body armour, smoke grenades Said police wd have to take him out with head shot. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:11 PM
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MPCC. In Feb 09 Lackie was arrested by Edmonton police. Had a gun in a taxi - tried to kill himself in remand. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:12 PM
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Hence the two city cops here in hearing room, given Lackie's record. In June 09 Lackie broke probation - violent in a bar. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:14 PM
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Lackie kicked out a police car window - charged with mischief. This is his 3rd offence. Then impaired driving in 2010 in Hfx - #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:15 PM
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Kirk Lackie became friends with Cpl Stuart Langridge in '04 - they liked fast cars, worked on their cars together.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:17 PM
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Lackie was never deployed himself. But Langridge talked to him about Bosnia - how houses got bombed out, women being raped by soldiers. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:18 PM
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But not our soldiers, assures Lackie. But since they were soldiers Langridge felt he cdn't intervene in the assualts. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:19 PM
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In Afghanistan Lackie says Langridge saw house blown up with families inside. Couldn't do anything. When he came home he was numb. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:20 PM
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Lackie began to take Langridge to AA meetings. Langridge was overwhelmed but didn't go to enough meetings says Lackie.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:21 PM
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Lackie witnessed Langridge drinking very heavily and he saw him preparing cocaine. Most on the base knew about this, he says.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:22 PM
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Langridge wanted to hear about Lackie's suicide attempts. But didn't talk to Lackie about his own. However others in the regiment knew.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:26 PM
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Lackie's voice is slow and heavy. He sounds like Jack Nicholson the actor is the observation of another reporter.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:27 PM
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Lackie explains how Langridge saw many doctors, as he did, but how there's never any continuity.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:29 PM
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Lackie also speaks about Langridge's depression, how he felt he'd let everyone down. How he gave up "in his mind."by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:30 PM
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Lackie is asked about the day of Langridge's death. He starts to cry. He is somewhat incoherent and confused.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:31 PM
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Lackie says he saw the "suicide watch" book as he calls it. Langridge was to be checked on every half hour. But there was a 3.5 hour gap.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:31 PM
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So, as Lackie sees it, no-one had checked on Langridge for 3 and a half hours - this was when Langridge killed himself.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:33 PM
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NDP MP Jack Harris will ask in QP why DND has not yet reimbursed the Fynes for money they spent correcting son's death certificate. #hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:36 PM
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The Fynes spent $12,000 correcting Cpl Langridge's death certificate - errors made due to military naming someone else next of kin.#hwby Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:39:38 PM
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Up next: Sgt. Scott Shannon of CF National Investigation Service. Sgt Shannon has lead 109 investigations, 13 of them sudden death.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 3:43:45 PM
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Sgt Shannon wrote the SOP,Standard Operating Procedure about how to debrief a family. It's never the lead investigator, he says.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 5:16:01 PM
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Using the lead investigator could delay the investigation which needs to apprehend the instigator, he says.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 5:17:49 PM
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Despite his wide experience, Shannon admits he has never before investigated a case of poss criminal negligence causing death.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 5:19:29 PM
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In Langridge's case, Shannon says he concluded there was no precedent in law for negligence in a suicide, so he ruled it out.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 5:21:17 PM
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Actually, Shannon was involved in the case that looked at whether the military was negligent in its investigation of Langridge's suicide.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 5:23:44 PM
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NDP MP Jack Harris just asked Min of Defence Peter Mackay about Fynes being reimbursed for money spent correcting son's death certificate.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 6:53:46 PM
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Harris in QP also asked MacKay when he would apologize to the Fynes and when he would stop witholding documents from the MPCC.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 6:55:00 PM
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MacKay accused Harris of interfering with arm's length inquiry. Says gov has given 2.5 million for the MPCC hearing "and more".by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 6:57:03 PM
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MacKay didn't mention the constant use of solicitor client privilege at hearing, meaning many witnesses can't answer. The client is MacKay.by Leslie MacKinnon via twitter 9/19/2012 6:59:23 PM
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