Social worker of Cree teen who died in care testifies at coroner's inquest

The second day of the coroner's inquest into the death of Traevon Chalifoux-Desjarlais heard from the guardianship social worker assigned to the Cree teen who went missing in Abbotsford, B.C., on Sept. 14, 2020.

Lynsie Thompson testified that after a missing person report was filed, she and an Abbotsford police constable worked together to check with people and places in the city and neighbouring Mission, B.C., where the 17-year-old had been found on previous occasions when he had gone missing.

"I was also physically searching in places I had found him before," she said. "No one had seen him."

Four days after he was reported missing, Traevon's body was found in the closet of his bedroom at the group home on Ware Street, Abbotsford, where he was living.

Thompson testified that a school classmate reported that Traevon had described being suicidal, and that police had spoken to that classmate. 

Thompson, an employee of the Ministry of Children and Family Development-delegated agency Xyólheméylh, started working with Traevon in 2018 and took over his file in August 2019.

She said Traevon was a "high-risk youth" who was assessed with an intellectual disability and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and described his personality as quiet, kind and polite. 

"He was an amazing young man," she said. "He had a huge appetite. He loved his fast food and he loved his gaming."

The court heard that in the months before his death, Traevon had been maced twice after coming into conflict with people, including a cousin, who lived in the community. 

"The first macing incident he and I were both admitted to hospital," said Thompson. "I saw someone running erratically, I pulled over to help… it ended up being Traevon. I did my best to … calm him and gave him my jacket to comfort him. As a result mace got on me and I had mace burns." 

Thompson said she voiced concerns about a plan to place a cousin of Traevon's in the group home, something Traevon wasn't comfortable with. Nevertheless, the cousin was moved in.

"He was quite worried," said Thompson. "[Traevon] didn't have a relationship with him. [The cousin] was older and a lot bigger. It was not our first choice." 

According to Thompson, Traevon left the group home for an unspecified amount of time after the cousin moved in but later returned.

In earlier testimony, child and adolescent psychiatrist Onome Agbahovbe testified that Traevon showed symptoms of depression, ADHD, anxiety, cannabis use disorder and PTSD related to childhood traumas. 

In describing her workload, Thompson told the court she had 25 other youth clients with similar needs to Traevon, which she said was "difficult."

The nine-day inquest is scheduled to hear testimony from Traevon's group home workers, ministry officials and members of the Abbotsford Police Department in the coming days.

Abbotsford police and the coroner originally described the teen's death as a suicide that did not require further investigation or an autopsy. After an outcry from First Nations leaders, the coroner announced it would go ahead with an autopsy. 

A coroner's inquest does not find blame or criminality but is meant to serve the public interest in revealing the facts and circumstances of a death. At its conclusion, the jury can make recommendations aimed at improving policy and procedures.