‘He was stolen from me’: Two more sentenced in Dylan Chretien murder case

In late October 2019. Chretien had offered a friend a ride from Lloydminster. They drove to a known gang house in Prince Albert’s Carlton Park. The friend left soon after to tend to other matters, only to be later arrested on an unrelated matter.

Chretien stayed behind at the residence and socialized with the people there. During that time, the people there had asked him to go for food, and also withdraw 100 dollars.

Dylan and best friend Kuda. (Submitted photo/ Brenda Chretien)

Chretien returned with the Chinese food and then left again, only to receive a text message from Smith a short time later inquiring where the cash was. When Chretien returned to the apartment, he was taken into a bedroom and assaulted. According to the statement of facts read in court by Crown Prosecutor Doug Howell, Chretien was heard screaming for a prolonged period of time.

Both Smith and Sutherland-Kayseas were seen leaving and entering the bedroom throughout.

While still conscious and covered in blood, Chretien was later carried from the bedroom by Smith and placed inside a vehicle. Chretien’s pleas for help from the others in the apartment went ignored. He was then transported by Smith and Sutherland-Kayseas to a remote location northwest of the city near the Saskatchewan Penitentiary and essentially left to die.

A missing person report was filed on Nov. 2nd, and just over a month later, police would find the body using the last known location on Chretien’s phone. Due to the damage caused by the elements, the pathologist could not determine the cause of death, however, found evidence of multiple stab wounds, blunt force trauma to the head, and signs of ligature strangulation.

Victim Impact statement

Brenda Chretien sat alone on the witness stand as she read slowly from a statement she had prepared. She described how she and her son had a close bond and that he was her last remaining family member, as she had lost others to cancer.

“He was stolen from me,” she said.

Describing her son as her strength and saviour, Brenda said she has constant nightmares; lives in fear that the gang members may come after her next; has lost her job and is in financial devastation.

“They might as well have murdered me too,” she said.

Brenda went on to explain how she and her son had plans to open a business together, but now she can no longer look forward to the idea of having grandchildren or even celebrating birthday parties. She asked the Justice to give both the accused the maximum sentence, as that’s what she felt they gave her.

“It’s the worst torture,” she said.

As she left the witness stand and walked back to her seat in the gallery, Brenda was seen pausing for a moment and taking a quick look at Smith, who was sitting in the prisoner’s box. Brenda later told paNOW she was hoping he would see the contempt she has for both of them and make him squirm a little.

The last photo Brenda Chretien has with her and her son Dylan Chretien. (Submitted photo/ Brenda Chretien)

Statement from defence and judge’s remarks

Smith’s lawyer Mike Nolan described Smith as an intelligent man who had even obtained a degree from the University of Saskatchewan. His role in the gang was described by Nolan as the “credit card guy.”

Since being in custody, Smith has taken on a proactive role in the prison, working in the quarantine unit and cleaning the areas where inmates had been. Nolan also indicated Smith had disassociated himself from the gangs.

Justice Mills remarked on his surprise seeing Smith in court, noting he was not the type of person to normally come before him.

“You’re here but by all means, you shouldn’t be,” he said. “You’re better than this.”

Smith was given remand credit for 570 days, and so has roughly three and a half years remaining. Outside the courthouse, Smith’s mother Sharon spoke to paNOW and said she empathizes and sympathizes with the mother of the victim.

“My heart goes out to her because that’s her only son,” she said.

Sutherland-Kayseas was in turn represented by Val Harvey, who described her client’s tough upbringing, living in foster care, because her mother drank and could not take care of her. Later in life when the mother tried to make amends, there was conflict. Harvey explained that Sutherland-Kayseas turned to gang life because it gave her a sense of belonging somewhere.

Since being incarcerated, Sutherland-Kayseas has nearly completed her grade 12 education and has aspirations to further pursue her education, with an interest in indigenous colonization. She also has two children who are currently in the care of their grandparents in Ontario. Justice Mills told Kayseas he understood her need to feel a sense of belonging.

“But these people they take advantage of people in your situation and they suck your soul,” he said.

Kayseas would have been eligible for a significant period of remand credit but made a request that her five-year sentence start Thursday instead. She also wrote a letter to the Justice but the contents were not read in court.

Both Smith and Sutherland-Kayseas declined when given a chance in court to speak.

In total, seven were charged in connection with the case and two have pending court dates. Sheldon Goodvoice, who faces the most serious charge of first-degree murder, was scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Friday.

Another man who is said to have played a significant role in the assault, Tyson Lafonde, was murdered in January 2020, in what’s believed to be a separate gang-related incident.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

‘He was stolen from me’: Two more sentenced in Dylan Chretien murder case

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