A man from Norway House has admitted to causing the death of a pregnant woman due to his reckless actions while under the influence of alcohol. Derek Forbister, aged 36, pleaded guilty to charges of criminal negligence causing death and possessing a firearm despite being prohibited from doing so during a court session at Norway House Cree Nation. The incident took place on November 12, 2024, when Forbister fatally shot 23-year-old Raven Crate at a residence in the First Nation community.
According to Crown attorney Omar Siddiqui, Forbister had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol and had ingested a sedative before handling a pump-action shotgun and ammunition around 4:30 a.m. He was observed pointing the firearm at himself and pulling the trigger while believing it was unloaded, alluding to thoughts of self-harm. Despite the presence of two other individuals, Forbister proceeded to manipulate the firearm until, at approximately 6:30 a.m., he shot Crate in the head.
In a heartbreaking impact statement shared during a press conference, family member Sandra Clarke described Crate’s death as a violent and senseless tragedy. Crate, who was four and a half months pregnant at the time, was expecting a child named Nathaniel Angel Justice Crate. The family lamented that Nathaniel would have been seven months old by now if not for the tragic loss.
Forbister, expressing remorse, acknowledged that he never intended to cause Crate’s death. The prosecution and Forbister’s legal representative jointly proposed a six-year sentence for the death and an additional six months for the firearm offense. The presiding judge, Keith Eyrikson, postponed the decision to further deliberate on the case, with the next court appearance scheduled for November 20.