Manitoba News: Manitoba’s chief medical examiner has called inquests into the deaths of three men in custody, a step that will put the circumstances of each death under public scrutiny and test whether anything can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | October 29, 2026 | Sources: CBC News Manitoba | Last updated: October 29, 2026
Key Takeaways
- John Younes, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner, called the inquests under The Fatality Inquiries Act.
- The three deaths happened in separate incidents between July 2022 and March of this year.
- Jeremy Peters, 42, died after he was found not breathing in a holding cell on July 9, 2022.
- Craig Flett, 32, died at Stony Mountain Institution on Feb. 10, 2026.
- Sebastian Atkinson, 25, died at the Winnipeg Remand Centre on March 25, 2026.
- Dates for the inquests have not yet been determined.
What Happened
Manitoba’s chief medical examiner has called inquests into the in-custody deaths of three men in separate incidents that happened between July 2022 and March of this year. The inquests will examine the deaths of men in Stony Mountain, the Winnipeg Remand Centre and a Long Plain holding cell.
John Younes, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner, called the inquests under The Fatality Inquiries Act, which requires inquests for most in-custody deaths. The inquests will look at the circumstances surrounding each man’s death and determine if anything can be done to prevent similar deaths from happening in the future.
Who the Inquests Cover
One inquest will examine the death of Jeremy Peters, a 42-year-old man from Long Plain First Nation. Peters was taken into custody under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act and was found not breathing in his holding cell on July 9, 2022, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said in a Thursday news release.
The medical examiner’s office did not specify where Peters was held, but a March 2025 report from the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, the province’s police watchdog, indicates he was taken into custody by the Manitoba First Nations Police Service and held at the Long Plain detachment. Peters was acting erratically and appeared intoxicated before he was taken into custody, the chief medical examiner’s news release said. He was un-cooperative during transport and had to be restrained before he was placed in his cell, where he was later found not breathing. He was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His death was determined to be accidental, with an autopsy determining the cause to be intoxication due to a combination of cocaine, methamphetamine and ethanol. The police watchdog recommended no charges in his death following an investigation.
The medical examiner’s office has also called an inquest into the deaths of Craig Flett and Sebastian Atkinson, both of whom died by suicide while in custody this year.
Flett, 32, was found hanging in a single-person cell at Stony Mountain Institution, a federal prison, on Feb. 10, 2026. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, the medical examiner said in a news release. An autopsy determined the manner of death to be a suicide.
Atkinson, 25, was an inmate at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. He was found on March 25, 2026, hanging in his cell. An autopsy determined his death was also caused by suicide.
What Happens Next
Dates for the inquests have not yet been determined. That means families and the public do not yet have a hearing date to follow, and the next step is for the inquest dates to be set and announced.
If you or someone you know is struggling, Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline can be reached by calling or texting 988.
Maplestime will provide updates as announcements are made.
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