Court case of man charged in homicides of Carman family adjourned to July

'It could have all been avoided' The mother of one of the five victims killed in Carman believes her daughter’s death could have been avoided. CTV’s Danton Unger reports.

The court case of a Manitoba man accused of killing five family members, including his own children, has been adjourned for another month.

Ryan Manoakeesick’s case was heard in a Winnipeg courtroom on Friday, with the Crown asking for an adjournment to July 9 in Morden.

Manoakeesick is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his partner Amanda Clearwater, the couple’s children Bethany, 6, Jayven, 4, and two-month-old Isabella, and Clearwater’s 17-year-old niece Myah-Lee Gratton on Feb. 11, 2024.

Police discovered their bodies at multiple crime scenes in and around Carman, Man.

The charges against Manoakeesick have not been proven in court. A mental health assessment determined he is fit to stand trial.

- With files from CTV’s Alexandra Holyk and The Canadian Press