Woman turns herself in on murder charges after escaping Winnipeg ‘healing lodge’ for indigenous offenders

Less than twenty-four hours elapsed between the moment the 42-year-old was spotted leaving the facility and when she arrived at the police station.

Canadian healing lodges are low to minimum security facilities where the "needs of offenders are addressed through teachings and ceremonies."

Late Monday night, Kringuk was spotted exiting Eagle Women's Lodge at 667 Ellice Avenue, where she had been serving out a life sentence for second degree murder. Staff immediately called police, who issued a warrant for her arrest.

Kringuk turned herself in at 11:50 am the following day.

"The Correctional Service of Canada and Eagle Women's Lodge are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident," the CSC wrote in a news release, adding that, "ensuring the safety and security of institutions, staff, and public remains the highest priority in the operations of the federal correctional system."

According to the Nunatsiaq News, Kringuk was found guilty of murdering the father of her children, Joani Kringayark, in 2008.

The two had been drinking "large amounts of rye whiskey" and arguing at Kringayark's cabin in Repulse Bay, Nunavut. He accused her of wanting to have sex with her father after she told him she had been considering moving back in with him.

Things took a violent turn; Kringuk grabbed Kringayark's rifle and threatened to kill herself, and after a failed suicide atttempt, pointed the gun at him.

"Should I just shoot you?" she asked, to which he replied, "Go ahead."

"When she fired the rifle," the Nunatsiaq News reports, "the bullet took Kringayark’s head off, leaving just his jaw, and landed in a window frame behind Kringayark."

Kringuk's lawyer Peter Harte described the incident as a "perfect storm fuelled by alcohol, and the tragedy of a readily available, loaded firearm."

According to the Nunatsiaq News, Kringuk had a troubled childhood marred by an early introduction to alcohol that led to her binge drinking by the age of eight. She was repeatedly sexually abused, and also suffered from serious mental problems.