Mother of teen slain in Carman, Man., says Child and Family Services ignored her safety concerns

WARNING: This story contains details involving the deathsof children.

The mother of one of five people found dead in southern Manitoba this past Sunday says she warned authorities her daughter wasn't safe living in the same household as the man now accused of killing her.

Juliette Hastings says Winnipeg Child and Family Services placed 17-year-old MyahGratton in the Carman, Man., home ofher cousin, Amanda Clearwater, 30, and Clearwater's common-law spouse, Ryan Howard Manoakeesick, 29.

"[Myah] was a firecracker," Hastings said. "She was my butterfly since she was a little girl. She was always smiling, hugging people, saying hi, you know. And she just loved life."

Gratton's body was found in the home later the same day police found remains of her cousin and those of the Clearwater's six-year-old daughter, four-year-old son and 2-month-old daughter.

Clearwater was found in a ditch just off a highway on Sunday morning. The children's bodies were pulled from a burning vehicle a couple of hours later, 70 kilometres north of Carman.

Manoakeesickis facing five first-degree murder charges for the deaths.

Hastings said she was worried about him.

"I had told aCFS worker that [the house was]not safe. That I had lived there before myself," she said.

"Something dark was just festering, and I just didn't want my daughter to be caught in the crossfire."

The teenager had left her Winnipeg home after she and her mom had a big fight.

"After losing my sister two, three years ago, it hit us both hard," Hastingssaid. "She felt that burden and she let that darkness in and then she started drinking and running away and getting high and hanging out with all these God-awful kids. And I'd be out chasing her ... and I was like, enough is enough."

Hastings said CFS placed her daughter with Clearwater andManoakeesicklast April, after Gratton asked to live there.

Hastings, who is from Cross Lake First Nation,said the Clearwater family was her foster family when she was young, so she had no problems with Amanda, although she had concerns about Manoakeesick.

'They didn't do their job'

Manoakeesickhas a history ofaddiction and mental health issues. In 2019, he received a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to mischief for destroying an electronic display at a Winnipeg Tim Hortons.

Court ordered him to undergo addictions and mental health assessments and take part in any recommended treatment.

Hastings said Manoakeesick would often behave oddly, seeing and hearing things. Shesaid she personally felt intimidated by him, although Myah told her she wasn't afraid of him.

CFS didn't do any safety checks nor criminal recordchecks on him, Hastings said.

She said she raised her concernswith thefamily's social workers, but nobody did anything to address them.

"They didn't do their job. They just said 'OK, she's good, let's go. I'm not going to listen to the mom,'" Hastings said.

"I'm the one fighting for her by the power of God to keep her safe. And he has kept her safe. And the only time he didn't keep her safe is becausethose assholes didn't listen. And I've had enough.Someone's going to pay for taking my baby away from me, when this could have been avoided."

Winnipeg CFS said it wouldn't comment on the allegations, deferring questionsto the province.

The province, in turn, said it would be inappropriate to comment on anything related to the incident at this time because there is an active investigation.

Hastings said her daughter's life and their relationship wereturning aroundbeforeher life was cut short.

"Everybody wants to help, but the most thing I want is Myah, so there's nothing really anyone can do," she said.

"I appreciate the food, I appreciate the flowers, I appreciate the condolence. I just want to see my baby."

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CBC's Emily Brass speaks with Alaya McIvor, one of the organizers of the MMIWGMB2S+ Valentine's Day Memorial Walk in downtown Winnipeg. The annual march took on added significance in light of the recent tragedy in rural Manitoba, where a man is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of five family members.

Support is available for anyone affected by these reports. You can talk to a mental health professional via Wellness Together Canada by calling 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 686868 for youth or 741741 for adults. It is free and confidential.