U.S. court drops criminal charges against Sask. mother accused of abducting her child, faking their deaths

Officials in Oregon say they’ve dismissed charges of felony aggravated identity theft and misdemeanour identity theft against Dawn Walker.

The 39-year-old Saskatoon mother pleaded guilty in provincial court on Nov. 3 to Canadian charges of abduction in contravention of a custody order, making statements that were false and misleading for the purpose of obtaining passport, and possessing forged documents with the intention of committing an offence.

She was given a one-year conditional sentence and 18 months probation.

“The United States hereby moves the Court for an order dismissing the Indictment filed herein as to defendant Dawn Walker based upon the defendant’s guilty plea and sentencing on a related matter in Canada, and in the interests of justice,” district attorney Natalie Wight wrote in the motion.

Oregon Judge Marco Hernandez accepted the motion to dismiss.

The charges stemmed from a high-profile incident involving Walker that happened in the summer of 2022. Walker and her child seemingly vanished from Saskatoon and an extensive missing persons search followed.

The Indigenous mother and child were found safe in Oregon City, and it was revealed that Walker had orchestrated their disappearance.

Walker and her legal team insisted that she fled the country in a desperate bid to protect her child and herself from her ex-partner. Her ex-partner denied all allegations of domestic abuse.