An Alberta woman who admitted responsibility for the death of an eight-year-old girl whose body was found inside a hockey bag has been sentenced to eight years in prison, capping a case that ignited public outrage and an unprecedented clash between police and prosecutors over a potential plea resolution.

On Friday(February 27), Court of King’s Bench Justice Jody Fraser sentenced 30-year-old Ashley Rattlesnake to eight years in prison after she admitted guilt to manslaughter in the killing of eight-year-old Nina Napope.

According to CTV News website, she will receive about four years’ credit for time served and is to serve the rest of her sentence outside Alberta.


“No sentence can ever bring back Nina,” Fraser said. “If I had that power, I could exercise it in a heartbeat.”

The case sparked controversy last fall when Edmonton police Chief Warren Driechel publicly released a letter urging prosecutors to scrap a potential plea arrangement that could have resulted in an eight-year sentence, calling it a “travesty of justice” given the crime’s severity.

Rattlesnake had originally faced second-degree murder charges, which carry a harsher penalty than manslaughter, but Crown prosecutors said no plea deal had been finalized.

Rattlesnake was intoxicated on alcohol and methamphetamine when Nina died, and the girl was later discovered bleeding on the floor, with the cause of her fatal head injury still unclear.

According to CTV News website, an autopsy found that Nina had multiple broken bones and injuries, some of which had already healed. She was also suffering from sepsis caused by an untreated infected tooth, and court heard the blood infection diminished her chances of survival.

Rattlesnake did not call 911 and instead sought help from acquaintances; four others were also charged. Fraser said she was “wilfully blind” to Nina’s suffering and treated her body “almost as trash,” but did not know the final head blow would be fatal.

Edmonton police said they will assess the sentencing decision and consult with Nina’s family before determining any next steps, expressing sympathy for her loved ones who have endured “unimaginable pain” throughout the case.

Outside the courthouse, relatives denounced the sentence and applauded police involvement, with Nina’s great-aunt, Janet Blyan, insisting the child’s prolonged abuse made the death “murder,” not an accident.