A mother convicted of the murder of Phoenix Sinclair was allowed to go out of prison

Article author:

The Canadian Press

Steve Lambert

WINNIPEG — Manitoba A woman who abused and murdered her daughter in one of the state's most notorious crimes is granted an escorted temporary absence from prison.

The Canadian Parole Board has allowed Samantha Kemacchi to visit with members of her family and, apart from that, has reviewed her spiritual development. to visit with an indigenous elder.

"The board believes that more exposure to your culture will not only help you on your healing journey, but also help you manage your risk factors more effectively." , read the July 21 board report.

Kematch and her then-boyfriend Karl McKay were charged with the 2005 murder of Kematch's daughter, Phoenix Sinclair. He was convicted of high-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for 25 years without parole. I heard that he was repeatedly abused, including being shot with a BB gun and being forced to eat his own vomit.

Phoenix was often trapped in the unfinished concrete basement of her home in the Fisher River Reserve north of Winnipeg. There were other children in the house who had seen the abuse Phoenix chose.

After the final fatal attack, McKay and Kemach wrapped the girl's body in plastic and buried it. The couple continued to collect welfare payments with Phoenix listed as a dependent, it was discovered months after Kematch tried to pass another girl off as Phoenix. The decision provides insight into Kematch's behavior since his 2008 conviction. Her Kematch, now 40, married another inmate, attended counseling, and she accepted responsibility for her crimes, documents say.

"You... have trust issues as a result of your history, so it took a while to build trust, but eventually it came back and I was able to talk about my crimes and accept responsibility for it,” the report said.

Kematch attended ceremonies and mental health treatments at her lodge, and is employed full-time in prison, the report adds.

"You are now establishing a healthy lifestyle and can get help when you need it."

They had 20 escorts from the prison, but they happened without incident, the report said.

Phoenix spent much of her short life in the care of her family friends and in the child welfare system. Her death, and the fact that it went undetected for nearly nine months, prompted a public inquiry. It turns out that I often closed files without seeing her. The social worker also failed to recognize that the man Kemac began living with in 2004 was McKay and had a documented history of domestic violence, including hitting his ex-girlfriend with the foot of the bathroom sink.

This Canadian Press report was first published on August 8, 2022.

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