Murder suspect remains in custody
By Delon Shurtz on March 20, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDdshurtz@lethbridgeherald.com A 37-year-old woman accused of deliberately striking and killing her ex-spouse with her vehicle last year remains in custody while her lawyer waits to receive from the Crown’s office information about his client’s charges.The matter for Melissa Dumaine Whitegrass was in Lethbridge provincial court Thursday, but it was simply adjourned until March 30 after Lethbridge lawyer James Rouleau said he still hasn’t received the information he needs relating to the case.
“I have yet to see disclosure,” he told the judge.
Whitegrass, a decorated war veteran who was injured while serving in Afghanistan in 2010, was arrested earlier this month and charged with first-degree murder.
At about 4 p.m. on June 1, 2020, Lethbridge police responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian in the west alley of the 900 block of 13 Street South.
The victim, 30-year-old Austin James Forsyth of Lethbridge, was rushed to Chinook Regional Hospital where he later died.
During a subsequent news conference police said a woman saw the victim and another person walking in the alley and decided to strike Forsyth with her vehicle. The other person walking with Forsyth was nearly struck, as well.
Although the passenger in the vehicle fled the scene, the driver remained behind and claimed the collision was accidental.
“The evidence we collected at the scene and through the extensive followup, including talking to witnesses and other investigative techniques we employed throughout the last several months, led our investigators to believe this was an intentional act and not an accidental collision,” Walper said during the news conference.
At about 6 p.m. March 2 police arrested Whitegrass at a northside residence and charged her with first-degree murder, dangerous driving causing death, and assault with a weapon. Follow @DShurtzherald on Twitter 4
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