From the Globe and Mail:

The Saskatchewan Police Commission has dismissed the appeals of two Saskatoon officers fired after the freezing death of aboriginal teen Neil Stonechild.

Constables Larry Hartwig and Brad Senger were dismissed from their jobs in November, 2004, after an inquiry into Stonechild’s death ruled the officers had the 17-year-old in their patrol car the last night he was seen alive.

Mr. Hartwig and Mr. Senger have always denied they saw Mr. Stonechild that night in November, 1990.

The commission ruled it was reasonable to conclude Mr. Stonechild was in the custody of the two officers.

The police commission also decided not to consider new evidence of a career criminal who said his former cellmate admitted to beating Mr. Stonechild and dumping him on the outskirts of Saskatoon.

The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal earlier rejected a bid to overturn the findings of the public inquiry.

A little background on the Neil Stonechild story:

Stonechild froze to death in November 1990. His body was found in a north Saskatoon field, with marks across his nose and wrists. Justice David Wright, commissioner of a public inquiry into Stonechild’s death, found that constables Larry Hartwig and Brad Senger had Stonechild in custody the last night he was seen alive.

The commissioner described the police service’s investigation of Stonechild’s death as “superficial at best” in his October report.

The lack of action by police after StarPhoenix articles in 1991 and 2000 highlighted the suspicious circumstances of Stonechild’s death was also upsetting to the family.

“Leaving them in that state of suspended apprehension for that long and treating them in the fashion they did bordered on, if it didn’t cross over, into outright deceit,” Curtis said.

The police service offered false assurances that it thoroughly investigated Stonechild’s death and destroyed the teen’s clothing and belongings despite his mother’s request that police turn them over to her.