Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s mother shown security footage at inquest into woman’s death
Written by The Canadian Press on October 23, 2026
TORONTO — Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s mother was shown snippets of security footage from the day her daughter died as she resumed her testimony at a coroner’s inquest after making a new allegation against police involved in the case.
Claudette Beals watched several clips from a nearly 50-minute video combining silent CCTV footage from the hallway outside their home with audio from 911 calls and a police microphone. The video was previously played in its entirety at the inquest.
In one clip, Beals is knocking on the neighbour’s door, saying her daughter “jumped.”
When asked about it by inquest counsel this afternoon, Beals confirmed she said those words but noted police had just told her that her daughter had died by suicide.
Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Afro-Indigenous woman, fell from a highrise balcony in the presence of police on May 27, 2020.
Beals testified Thursday that she saw officers push her daughter toward the balcony, prompting the inquest to take a prolonged break as counsel for the parties figured out a way forward.
The presiding coroner, Dr. David Cameron, told jurors Thursday counsel were strategizing on how to best have them hear evidence related to the circumstances of Korchinski-Paquet’s death “in a clear and fair manner.”
As the inquest reconvened Friday morning, Cameron said counsel had worked “very late into the evening to reach a consensus on how to proceed forward” but weren’t “quite there yet.”
He encouraged jurors to review and discuss the evidence until 3 p.m., which is when Beals continued her testimony.
Right before the proceedings wrapped for the day, inquest counsel Roger Shallow asked Beals if she blamed herself for what happened to her daughter, while stressing it was not her fault.
“Do you feel, even though you shouldn’t — because of course we’ve heard of your challenges and your frustration, and you called the police to have your children removed, and this fateful tragedy unfolded — do you feel a sense, even though you shouldn’t, of guilt because of that?” he said.
“I feel very responsible for my daughter’s death, very responsible,” she replied.
Beals is set to face questions from lawyers representing roughly a dozen parties next week.
On Thursday, she said that the family struggled at times to deal with Korchinski-Paquet’s seizures and would have benefited from support and education regarding epilepsy.
The inquest has heard Korchinski-Paquet experienced seizures from epilepsy and had two on the day she died.
Her seizures were often followed by periods of erratic and aggressive behaviour, the inquest has heard.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2026.
Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press