'My heart shattered': mother to testify at First Nations student deaths inquest
Jethro Anderson, 15, died in 2000
The First Nations student deaths inquest in Thunder Bay, Ont. resumed Tuesday morning with testimony from Stella Anderson. Her son Jethro was 15-years-old when he died in 2000.
The inquest, which began in October, is looking into the deaths of seven young people who died after coming to the city for school, from remote First Nations communities.
- Livestream: First Nations student deaths inquest
- In depth: First Nations student deaths inquest
- First Nations student recalls 'very scary' experience in Thunder Bay
"The day that Jethro's body was found and I heard the news, my heart shattered into a million pieces," Anderson said in a statement released before the inquest started.
She was scheduled to testify Monday afternoon, but Toronto-based lawyers from various parties with standing at the inquest were unable to fly into Thunder Bay because of bad weather.
The inquest is expected to continue until March, 2016.
Here is a look at the some of the proceedings from the CBC reporter in the courtroom.
Start of inquest delayed to 10:30 this morning: <a href="https://t.co/qOyIm2Z8ds">https://t.co/qOyIm2Z8ds</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterFurther delay at inquest as plane with some lawyers not yet arrived in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterCoroner's counsel Trevor Jukes begins session by telling jury remaining 5 deaths to be examined in chronological order <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterStella Anderson, mother of Jethro, who died in 2000, taking the stand. She'll testify through an Oji-Cree interpreter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterJethro Anderson was the grandson of the late Jeremiah McKay, a respected elder in Treaty 9 territory <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterLawyers now searching courthouse for the interpreter who was here earlier <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterStella Anderson is the parent who has waited the longest for this inquest - 15 years since her 15-yr-old son died in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterOji-Cree Interpreter Linda Makela now being sworn in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterStella says, through the interpreter, that her son was 'very gentle and very obedient'. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says there was a high school in Kasabonika that Jethro could have attended but it was full <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterJethro asked his mom if he could come to school in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a>, she says thru interpreter. 'I just agreed with what he wanted to do' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterIt was the 1st year of operation for Dennis Franklin Cromarty school in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a>. Anderson: 'I didn't know anything about the school' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says thru interpreter that she came to visit Jethro in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> once that fall & 'he seemed happy' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says she didn't have a phone at home in Kasabonika Lake First Nation back on 2000 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says she heard from Jethro's boarding home parent (his aunt) after he had been missing for 2 days <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says she left Kasabonika to come to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a>, began driving around the city, looking for Jethro with others from her community <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'I was quite distressed, I was in great pain, great agony,' Anderson says through interpreter. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says when she was told that her son was found dead, she completely lost her hearing. (She is using a hearing aid in court) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterPhoto of Jethro Anderson on screen. 'My first born son,' Anderson says. First words she has said in English in court. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'He was a very loveable person,' Anderson says through interpreter. 'He was very helpful' with his younger siblings <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterJethro's father Sam just entered courtroom. Security asked him to remove his baseball cap <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says Jethro spoke Oji-Cree at home, learned to speak English in grade 7 & 8 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says neither she nor Jethro had a cell phone or a computer to communicate back in 2000 when he came out to school <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says it gave her strength to see how many people volunteered to help with search for Jethro <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterInterpreter breaks down relaying Anderson's words about finding out her son was dead 1/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'I fell on the floor. It was so painful I thought I was going to die. The pain was so great I truly thought I was going to die' 2/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says through interpreter that a spirit came to her and brought her peace, that Jethro has life after death in heaven <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson's lawyer reminds inquest that search for Jethro was taking place this very week in November, 15 years ago. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterStella Anderson carries a bible with her as she returns to the stand after the lunch break at the inquest <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterJethro turned 15 in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> on Oct 1, 2000. He disappeared at the end of the month. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says she was told that Jethro was seen at the Brodie bus terminal with a non-Native male he was calling his uncle <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says she was also told a story about a man being seen near the Kam River where Jethro was last seen <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterShe was also told that her son's girlfriend was seen with him before and maybe even after Jethro went missing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says to this day she still does not know what happened to her son. She read in a newspaper that the coroner said he drowned <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterJethro wanted to be a police officer when he grew up, his mom says and told her he wanted to have a child <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says she never saw Jethro's application to attend school in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a>, says it was filled out at school in Kasabonika <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterLawyer for Northern Nishnawbe Education Council clarifies that Dennis Franklin Cromarty school opened Oct., not Sept., 2000 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says her son's boarding parents were his aunt and uncle who he had known since he was a baby and she felt he'd be safe <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterOn the day Jethro was last seen, Anderson says a wolf visited her home in Kasabonika <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'We as Native people, we find out from these animals that somehow we get messages,' Anderson says of the wolf's visit <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'I told him to leave,' Anderson says. 'When the wolf comes to an individual something very wrong is going to be happening' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterTwo days later Anderson got the call that Jethro was missing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterLawyer for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> police service asks whether Anderson ever called police about Jethro. She says no, but others did <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterLawyer for Aboriginal Affairs asking Anderson who told her the high school at Kasabonika was too full for Jethro 1/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'It just happens,' Anderson says. 'It just gets so full in there' with so many students. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson says Jethro liked school, especially math, & in Kasabonika school is crowded 'they bug each other and can't concentrate' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterJuror asks Anderson if she knows why the police or coroner did not tell her what happened to Jethro 1/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'They did not come and tell me,' Anderson says. 'I was waiting' 2/2 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterNext witness is Saloma Anderson, Stella Anderson's sister, Jethro's aunt, who helped in search <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterSaloma Anderson is a teacher at the school in Kasabonika Lake First Nation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterSaloma says Jethro 'was the type of child who respected his parents and had lots of friends' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'My sister said I have to go look for my son, will you come with me?' Saloma says. 'I said yes, even though I had a job.' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter'My sister said I have to go look for my son, will you come with me?' Saloma says. 'I said yes, even though I had a job.' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterSaloma says when they first got to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tbay?src=hash">#tbay</a> they drove around looking for places kids might go <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterAnderson family lawyer asking Saloma about a missing persons poster featuring her nephew that Saloma passed out as part of search <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporterSaloma says she kept the posters for 12 years and handed them to OPP as part of the inquest investigation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbctb?src=hash">#cbctb</a>
—@cbcreporter