A Canadian man has been found not guilty in the death of indigenous schoolgirl Tina Fontaine.
Raymond Cormier, 56, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of the 15-year-old in 2015.
Ms Fontaine’s body was pulled from Winnipeg’s Red River on 17 August 2014, a week after she was reported missing.
Her death renewed calls from activists to launch an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada.
On Thursday, the 11-person jury found Mr Cormier not guilty, after a day of deliberations.
Moments after the verdict was read, the hashtag #justicefortinafontaine began to trend online.
A forensic pathologist testified during the trial that it was not possible to determine how Ms Fontaine died.
No DNA linked Mr Cormier to the murder.
He was arrested in December 2015 following a lengthy undercover sting operation by police.
The Crown’s case relied heavily on audio recorded by police of Mr Cormier during that operation. Various witnesses testified that Ms Fontaine and Mr Cormier were acquaintances.
She was raised by her great aunt, Thelma Favel, on the Sagkeeng First Nation, north-east of Winnipeg. She left her home to visit her biological mother in the provincial capital following her father’s death.
Police have described Ms Fontaine as “highly vulnerable” and said she was exploited during her time on the run. She was in the care of the child-welfare system in Winnipeg, Manitoba, when she disappeared.
Her body was found weighed down and wrapped in a duvet cover, and she was identified in part by the angel wings tattooed on her back.
The discovery of her body sent shockwaves through the city.
Hundreds took to the streets and social media to demand better protection for indigenous women and girls.
The murder also shone a spotlight on ways the system failed the teenager. On the last day she was seen alive, she interacted with police, hospital staff and child welfare workers.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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