Inquest into deaths of Charlottetown mother and daughter underway

WARNING: This story deals with suicide. Help line information appears at the bottom. 

The coroner's inquest looking into the deaths of Danielle White and her nine-year-old daughter, Olivia Rodd, began this morning in Charlottetown.

White, 47, and her daughter died in July 2020 at a home in the Sherwood neighbourhood of Charlottetown. Carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected, and police believed it was a murder-suicide.

The presiding coroner is Dr. Craig Malone, and there is also a six-member jury.

The purpose of the inquiry is not to determine guilt or innocence or assign blame, but rather it will be a broad review of the circumstances surrounding the deaths, and an investigation of how those circumstances might have been improved.

Danny Rodd, Olivia's father, was emotional while speaking about his ex's mental health issues as the inquest began on Monday morning.

He said White had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression and had self-harmed in the past — but had promised him she would never hurt their daughter.

The couple signed a separation agreement in 2012, two years after Olivia was born.

Rodd and White shared custody, but Olivia spent more time with her father than her mother, and Rodd told the inquest that Olivia said her mom slept all day when she was there.

Det. Darren MacDougall with Charlottetown Police Services also spoke Monday, telling the inquest he gone to White's home in April 2020 after being contacted by U.S. officials who said White had ordered a drug from Mexico that was "a drug one might be inclined to order if their intent was suicide."

The parcel was ultimately destroyed by the Department of Homeland Security before it left for Canada, but MacDougall decided on his own to visit White for a wellness check.

At that time, White explained she had made a "knee-jerk" decision to order the drug six weeks before, and said she was now in a better frame of mind.

MacDougall told the inquest he didn't have grounds to act under the Mental Health Act at that time, and that Olivia wasn't present when he visited.

"I didn't see that the child was in danger, given the circumstances of the nature of my visit," he said.