Family Remembers 8-Year-Old Nina as Controversial Sentencing Begins in Edmonton
The family of an eight-year-old girl found slain more than two years ago has finally been granted permission by the court to publicly share her name—Nina Napope Dumais. This emotional revelation came during a sentencing hearing in Edmonton, where Ashley Rattlesnake, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case, will learn her fate this week.
Publication Ban Lifted in Court
A publication ban on the little girl’s name and the name of her killer was revoked in Edmonton court at a Wednesday morning sentencing hearing. The hearing is scheduled to play out over three days, during which Justice Jody Fraser will hear arguments from the Crown and defense on what punishment they believe fits the crime.
Prosecutor Terry Hoffman stated that the Crown is seeking a nine-year sentence, while the defense is advocating for seven years. Members of Nina’s family, including her aunts, grandmother, and father, sat in the courtroom Wednesday morning and wept as the court heard impact statements.
Emotional Impact Statements from Family
Starr Dumais, the child’s grandmother, recalled cherished memories, saying, “My baby girl Nina amazed me.” Reading a statement from Nina’s father, Dumais shared with the court how her granddaughter loved to dance and sing and had a close connection to her siblings and other family members.
She also expressed her profound grief, stating she is now broken and devastated that she will never be able to see Nina grow into a woman. Rose Dumais, Nina’s aunt, told the court of her own trauma endured in the wake of Nina’s killing, revealing, “I fell into an addiction and started closing myself up, even to my children. That survivor guilt started to kick in.”
Details of the Case and Sentencing Hearing
Rattlesnake sat in the prisoner’s box facing away from the family, wiping tears from her face as the victim impact statements were shared. She was arrested after Nina’s body was reported to be found in a hockey bag in the back of a truck south of Edmonton, on Samson Cree Nation at Maskwacis. Two men were also charged with accessory to murder and indignity to a body.
When Rattlesnake pleaded guilty in September, prosecutors told the court that it was unknown how exactly the girl’s fatal injury occurred. The events took place in Rattlesnake’s Edmonton home while she was present, and a friend had come over to drink and use methamphetamine. The friend found the little girl on the floor unconscious and bleeding, her body beneath a hole in the wall.
A doctor who examined the child found evidence of chronic abuse, including fractured bones that had previously healed. She was also suffering from sepsis due to a broken tooth, which reduced her chances of surviving the fresh head injury she had suffered, according to the doctor’s testimony.
As the sentencing hearing continues, the family’s emotional statements highlight the deep impact of this tragic case, while the court deliberates on a just outcome for the manslaughter conviction.
