Ashley Rattlesnake has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to manslaughter in the death of eight-year-old Nina Napope, whose remains were discovered inside a hockey bag in 2023. The Canadian Press
A 30-year-old woman received an eight-year prison sentence Friday after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of eight-year-old Nina Napope. Nina’s body was found inside a hockey bag in central Alberta in 2023.
Justice Jody Fraser delivered the decision in the Court of King’s Bench. He granted Ashley Rattlesnake credit for about four years already served in custody. He also directed that she serve the remainder 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.”
As the judge concluded, members of Nina’s family shouted, “Baby killer!” Inside the courtroom. Outside, they cried out, “Eight years is not enough!”
Tension Between Police and Prosecutors
The case drew public attention months earlier when Edmonton police Chief Warren Driechel wrote a letter urging Crown prosecutors to withdraw a potential plea arrangement that could result in an eight-year term. Rattlesnake initially faced second-degree murder charges before pleading guilty to manslaughter, which carries a lighter penalty.
Driechel described a lesser sentence as a “travesty of justice” and warned police would release further details if a plea deal proceeded. Crown prosecutors later clarified that no formal plea agreement existed at that time.
Justice Fraser called the public comments from police “reprehensible” and said they influenced his decision as a mitigating factor.
He stressed that he made his ruling independently and “without any fear of the Edmonton police action.”
Details Heard in Court
Court heard that Nina was under Rattlesnake’s care when her body was discovered in a truck on the Samson Cree Nation. On the night Nina died, Rattlesnake had consumed alcohol and methamphetamine.
Investigators found Nina lying on the floor beside a hole in a wall, bleeding from a severe head injury. The exact cause of the fatal blow remains unclear.
An autopsy revealed several broken bones, including injuries that had already begun healing. Doctors also found sepsis caused by an untreated infected tooth. The infection lowered Nina’s chances of survival.
Rattlesnake did not call emergency services. Instead, she contacted acquaintances for help. Authorities charged four other individuals in connection with the case.
Justice Fraser said Rattlesnake acted with “wilfully blind to Nina’s suffering” and treated the child’s body “almost as trash.” However, he noted she did not know the final blow would cause death.
Sentence and Family Reaction
Fraser stated that a sentence between 12 and 15 years would have been appropriate but reduced it because Rattlesnake pleaded guilty. He said the plea saved the court about four weeks of trial time.
The Crown asked for nine years, while the defence requested seven.
After the hearing, police expressed sympathy for Nina’s family. “Our hearts go out to Nina’s loved ones, who have suffered unimaginable pain throughout these proceedings,” a statement read.
Outside the courthouse, family members voiced anger and disappointment. Janet Blyan, Nina’s great-aunt, said, “She was abused for eight months, so it is murder. It wasn’t an accidental death, it was murder because she knew what she was doing.”
Blyan added that Nina appeared healthy months earlier but looked frail when she died. She also objected to sending Rattlesnake to serve time in another province.
“The system is protecting that baby killer,” she said.
The case has left a community grieving and a family searching for answers.
