Police in Regina have charged a woman with manslaughter almost two years after a three-year-old girl died.
Ashley Dawn Longworth, 33, of Regina is accused in the death of Zoey Hancock.
Police said an investigation began March 20, 2018, when a 911 call came in. The caller said a three-year-old girl had been found unresponsive at a home in the city.
Paramedics provided emergency care to the girl and transported her to hospital, where she died.
Police and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service determined during the investigation that the girl’s death was a homicide.
Kayla DeMars-Krentz, a lawyer for Zoey’s mother, Deborah Hancock, said the girl died at a day home run by Ms. Longworth.
“I can say that the family feels a great sense of relief,” Ms. DeMars-Krentz said. “Hopefully, the charges bring peace and resolution to the whole family.”
Ms. Longworth made her first court appearance on Wednesday. She was released with a number of conditions, including not supervising any child under the age of 16. She is next to appear in court on March 18.
“Nothing can compensate for the loss of Zoey,” Ms. DeMars-Krentz told CTV News Regina in an e-mail. “She was a joyful, spirited child whose bright smile brought light to those around her.
“Zoey’s death has been a profound loss to her entire family.”