Officials with the provincial government have announced the location and terms of reference for a public inquiry into a triple murder-suicide in Guysborough Co.
Lionel Desmond, a 33-year-old Afghan war veteran, killed his mother, Brenda, 52; wife, Shanna, 31; and their daughter, Aaliyah, 10, before killing himself in the family’s home in Upper Big Tracadie in January 2017.
Dr. Matt Bowes, the provincial Chief Medical Examiner, reviewed the case and recommended a fatality inquiry.
Provincial officials say it will be held in the municipal office in Guysborough, and it may be live-streamed online.
They say the next step in the process is to announce a provincial court judge and designated Crown counsel to conduct the inquiry; that is expected in the coming weeks, but a date for the inquiry hasn’t been announced.
Terms of reference include the circumstances of Desmond’s release from St. Martha’s Regional Hospital the day before the deaths, if he had access to appropriate mental health care and if he and his family members had access to appropriate domestic violence intervention services.