Bradley Barton found guilty of manslaughter in death of Cindy Gladue

Family seeks return of Cindy Gladue's remains from Alberta medical examiner's office

Warning: This story includes graphic and disturbing details

The family of Cindy Gladue, a 36 year-old Cree-Métis woman whose killer was found guilty last week, wants Alberta's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to return her remains so they can lay her to rest.

Gladue, a mother of three daughters who now have children of their own, was found dead in an Edmonton hotel room in 2011.

It took two trials and 10 years to convict her killer Bradley Barton, who was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury on Feb. 19.

Gladue's family has written to the province's chief medical examiner to return the part of her body used as evidence during the first trial of Barton, a chain-smoking, Mississauga, Ont., truck driver, who was initially found not guilty by a jury of first-degree murder and manslaughter charges in 2015.

The use of Gladue's body part as evidence was the first time in Canadian courtroom history that preserved human tissue was used in a trial. It sent shockwaves — and has been called both a "barbaric" indignity and an example of systemic racism in the justice system.

Prairie Adaoui, 41, Gladue's cousin, said the family wants to say their final goodbyes, but can't until they retrieve her remains which are still under the responsibility of the province's medical examiner's officer.

"It's been 10 years. My cousin, part of her remains are still locked away. We haven't been able to get closure, go to ceremony," said Adaoui.

"I think that's wrong.... We haven't been able to lay her to rest because she's still sitting somewhere."

The use of Gladue's body part as evidence was the first time in Canadian courtroom history that preserved human tissue was used in a trial. It sent shockwaves — and has been called both a "barbaric" indignity and an example of systemic racism in the justice system.