SASKATOON – A Saskatchewan woman whose conviction is being reviewed by the federal government as a possible miscarriage of justice had another appearance in Saskatoon court Wednesday.
Nerissa Quewezance faces three charges of failing to comply with release conditions. She was remanded in custody and is now scheduled to appear again in Saskatoon Provincial Court on Oct. 9.
In March 2023, Nerissa, and her sister Odelia, were granted day parole at Yorkton Court of King’s Bench pending the federal Justice Department review of their 1994 second-degree murder convictions.
Nerissa Quewezance was later arrested and charged with breaching her release conditions in Saskatoon.
In June 2022, then federal Justice Minister David Lametti said that, “It has been determined there may be a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred in this matter.”
In 2021, two retired federal judges who headed the creation of a commission to review wrongful convictions (Bill C-40 David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law) said the conviction of the Saskatchewan sisters has signs of a miscarriage of justice. Justice Harry LaForme and Justice Juanita Westmoreland-Traore were appointed by Lametti to lead consultations for the establishment of the independent Criminal Case Review Commission and the Saskatchewan sisters’ case had been brought to their attention.
Neither of the sisters pleaded guilty to the murder and continue to maintain their innocence.
The sisters have the support of Senator Kim Pate, Innocence Canada, and the late David Milgaard.
