Coroner's inquest into Fredericton ER waiting-room death postponed over new information
Inquest can't proceed while death of Darrell Mesheau is still being investigated, says chief coroner
A coroner's inquest scheduled to begin Monday into the death of a patient in the Fredericton ER waiting room last summer has been postponed, just three days after it was announced.
Chief coroner Heather Brander has reopened her investigation into Darrell Mesheau's death after new information was brought forward, according to a news release issued Friday afternoon by the Department of Justice and Public Safety.
No details about the nature of the new information were provided.
But under the Coroners Act, an inquest can't proceed while a death is still being investigated.
"We understand how difficult this is for Mr. Mesheau's family and the inquest will be rescheduled as soon possible," Brander said in a statement.
"As this is an active investigation, there will be no further comment."
Mesheau, 78, died while waiting for care at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital's emergency department nearly a year ago, on July 12, 2022.
His death sparked outrage across the province and prompted Premier Blaine Higgs to remove Dorothy Shephard as health minister, to fire Horizon president and CEO Dr. John Dornan, and to replace the Horizon and Vitalité boards with one trustee each.
Jury selection was slated to begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the University of New Brunswick law school, with regional coroner Emily Caissy presiding.
Family trusts process
Mesheau's family was informed of the postponement by the coroner's office on Friday morning, according to his sister Susan Mesheau.
"We have no further information … so I'm not sure why," she said.
"But we trust the coroner's office and the Crown prosecutors that they're doing the right thing, and we trust the process."
At least two family members planned to attend — Darrell Mesheau's son, Ryan Mesheau, and his brother, Peter Mesheau, a former Progressive Conservative finance minister under the Bernard Lord government.
It was only on Tuesday that the five-day inquest was announced, along with Mesheau's identity.
No details about the circumstances surrounding his death have previously been made public.
But witness John Staples told CBC a senior had been waiting alone in a wheelchair, in visible discomfort, for hours when he appeared to fall asleep. It was only during a routine check of people in the waiting room that a hospital employee realized the man had stopped breathing, Staples said.
About 125 people had been ordered to appear for potential jury duty, Department of Justice and Public Safety spokesperson Judy Désalliers told CBC.
Individuals who couldn't be contacted about the postponement will be advised in person upon their arrival Monday, she said.
A new pool of potential jurors will be summonsed when the new inquest date is known.
Désalliers declined to say how many witnesses were expected to testify. The department does not release the list or number of witnesses in advance, she said.