Saskatchewan woman accused of faking her and her son’s death intends to go to trial

An Indigenous woman accused of faking her death and that of her son before illegally crossing the border into the United States has indicated her intention to go to trial.

Through counsel, Dawn Walker told Saskatoon provincial court that she intends to have a judge-alone trial and waived her right to a preliminary inquiry.

A judge recently changed a ban allowing for Walker’s name to be published.

Walker and her seven-year-old child were reported missing in July after her pickup truck was found near a river at a park south of Saskatoon.

Two weeks later, the mother and son were found by U.S. authorities in Oregon City, Ore.

She is facing nine charges, including public mischief, child abduction, forging a passport, possessing forged documents, identity theft and identity fraud.