Two adult females: ages 32 and 36, are facing criminal charges of forcible confinement, robbery with violence, and extortion as the result of an investigation into a protracted, violent incident, involving a 22 year-old female victim. This was not a random occurrence; the two accused and the victim are known to each other.
Police first learned of this incident after the victim escaped from a situation in which she alleged she was tied up, confined, assaulted numerous times, and robbed of personal possessions and a vehicle. This ordeal started around 9:00 p.m. on Monday, July 6, 2020. The victim went with an acquaintance to the house of a third person, known to both of them, in the 1200 block of Elphinstone Street. Once there, the victim was allegedly attacked and tied up, and assaulted several times throughout the night. It’s is also alleged the assailants told the victim they would take her child as an attempt to manipulate her. The next day, at a point when the victim was left alone in the basement of the house on Elphinstone Street, she managed to get out of the house and contacted help. The victim sustained visible physical injuries from the assaults, in addition to the emotional trauma of her experience.
The investigation was led by the Regina Police Service Street Gang Unit, with support from the Street Crimes Units and Community Services Division/K9. On July 14th, two females were arrested and charged in connection with this incident.
The accused are 32 year-old Amanda Rae TWARDY, and 36 year-old Shanette P. BIGKNIFE, both of Regina. Both women are charged with Forcible Confinement [279(2) CC]; Robbery with Violence [344(1)(A.1) CC]; and Extortion [346 (1.1)(B) CC]. Both TWARDY and BIGKNIFE made their first appearances on these charges before Provincial Court at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
