A judge has granted bail for a Saskatoon woman accused of faking her and her son’s deaths and illegally crossing the border into the United States. District Court Judge Lua Gibb said Friday that the 48-year-old woman, who cannot be named due to a publication ban, can be released on $10,000 bail. The woman must stay at her sister’s house and cannot have contact with her son unless the court allows access. And he can’t leave Saskatchewan without permission. The woman was released Friday night after receiving an ankle monitor. Still wearing her prison uniform — gray pants and a gray shirt — the woman shielded her face with a paper that had her release conditions on it. The woman grabbed a familiar face and whispered something in their ear as friends and family surrounded her. He avoided saying anything to them out loud and took no questions from the media. She then quickly jumped into the back seat of a car parked nearby before driving away, her family dispersing soon after. An hour earlier, the judge warned the woman to be on her best behavior. “If you breach any condition, you can be charged with a Criminal Code offence,” Gibb said, adding that the woman could also be remanded in custody until the end of her trial. “It really is your duty.” Cheers rang out in the courtroom from the woman’s family and friends who attended the four-hour bail hearing. The woman is charged with public disorder and child abduction in violation of a custody order. He also faces two US charges related to identity fraud for allegedly crossing the border with fake IDs. The woman and her seven-year-old boy were reported missing in July after her truck was found in a park south of Saskatoon. On August 5, after two weeks of searching efforts, she and her son were found in Oregon City and arrested. The prosecution and defense in the US agreed to her return to Canada after she waived formal extradition proceedings. The woman’s lawyers, friends and relatives said the Indigenous woman was a victim of domestic abuse who unsuccessfully sought help from officials in Saskatchewan. The child’s father has told her he would never hurt her or the boy. Saskatoon police have said the woman’s previous complaints were investigated, but no charges have been laid. The evidence presented at the bail hearing is under a publication ban. The woman’s bail conditions also include that she has no contact with the boy’s father. Defense lawyer Chris Murphy appeared in court for Toronto lawyer Marie Henein, who is representing the woman. “I was not surprised to see her go free and I commend the courage of Mrs Justice Gibb,” he told reporters. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 2, 2022.
