A man recently sentenced for killing two women in Winnipeg is no longer charged in the death of a third woman. Justice officials stayed an outstanding second-degree murder charge against Shawn Lamb in the 2011 death of Tanya Nepinak, whose body has never been found.
The decision was made Thursday but came as a surprise to Nepinak’s family when word came out on Friday.
"He's putting our family through hell with this," said Tanya’s sister Gail Nepinak.
Her family still doesn’t know how Tanya died or where her body is. "It's tearing our family apart. It's depressing. It's destroying my parents."
Lamb received a sentence of 20 years last week for killing two other aboriginal women. The Crown said there was no reasonable likelihood of getting a conviction for Nepinak, and on Thursday, entered a stay of proceedings.
"It's like stabbing us in the heart and just basically making us do everything all over again," said Gail.
Lamb’s lawyer said the Crown has no evidence. “As far as we're concerned, the case is over,” said Martin Glazer.
“Shawn Lamb pled guilty to what he did. He's brought closure to the victims’ families by doing so and hopes he achieves some measure of justice for himself.”
Tanya Nepinak's aunt, Susan Caribou, still believes Lamb knows the location of her niece's body. "I don't see no body, so in my heart, I still think she's alive," she said.
Caribou says, if Lamb has information, she’ll pay for it. "I'll do anything to get the money for him to give me back my niece."
Despite the legal setback in their quest for justice, the family says it will keep searching for Tanya's body. Gail Nepinak says it's reached the point where she wants to talk to Lamb herself.
"I want him to tell me anything, whatever. Just talk to me," she said.
Glazer told CTV News that Lamb would have nothing to say because he has no information on the whereabouts of Tanya Nepinak.
If they discover more evidence, the Crown could review the case for possible future prosecution.
- With a report by Josh Crabb.
