A tragic incident unfolded as a neighbor intervened in a fight between Regis Korchinski-Paquet and her brother, just hours before the young woman fell to her death from a highrise balcony while police were present at her home. During a coroner’s inquest, Doreen Gayle, a next-door neighbor, recounted the events of May 27, 2020, shedding light on the lead-up to the heartbreaking incident.
Gayle described how Korchinski-Paquet and her mother, Claudette Beals, visited her apartment that morning for a chat and smoke session. Later, Beals returned seeking help to break up a fight between Korchinski-Paquet and her brother, Reece Korchinski. According to Gayle, tensions escalated as Korchinski had his sister in a chokehold, fearing she might retrieve knives following a dispute over a broken TV.
The situation intensified as Korchinski-Paquet grabbed knives from the kitchen, prompting Gayle to intervene and urge the family to her unit for safety. After a series of events, including a chair being thrown and a lamp broken, Gayle asked them to leave, unaware of the tragic outcome that would soon unfold.
The emotional account revealed the close-knit bond between the two families, with Gayle often offering refuge during moments of conflict. The inquest highlighted Korchinski-Paquet’s history of epilepsy and the challenges she faced following seizures, shedding light on the events leading up to the fatal fall.
