Pictures taken of Deborah McKenzie and Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas as they were arriving at the courthouse for trial last April. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By paNOW Staff

sentencing to come

Women charged with torturing and killing La Ronge woman over a drug debt under $1,000, found guilty of manslaughter

Aug 19, 2024 | 2:12 PM

CONTENT WARNING: Descriptions of violence

Two women involved in the torture and stabbing death of a woman from La Ronge were both found guilty of manslaughter and kidnapping rather than the original charge of second degree murder.

Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas and Deborah McKenzie appeared via video conference at Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert Monday. Their trials wrapped up last April and the verdict was rendered by Madame Justice Zerr.

During her address to the court, Zerr said it was determined McKenzie and Sutherland-Kayseas had formed a common intention to carry out an unlawful purpose and helped each other carry out their plan. McKenzie ordered Sheena Billette’s kidnapping, provided the vehicle she was taken in, while Sutherland-Kayseas was the one that physically put Billette into the vehicle and drove it out to where Billette’s body was eventually found.

On the charges of second degree murder, however, both women were found not guilty and instead received a guilty verdict of manslaughter. It was determined that there was no clear evidence that either McKenzie or Sutherland-Kayseas were the person that inflicted the stab wounds to Billette, so neither could be found guilty of murder. They were both found guilty of manslaughter due to actions prior to Billette being forced into the vehicle, and for leaving her behind in the cold after she had been fatally wounded.

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Sentences were not handed down during Monday’s court appearances. A pre-sentence report was requested by the Crown, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4 via conference call.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 23, 2019, 28-year-old Sheena Billette was found deceased along Highway 102, about eight kilometres north of La Ronge, SK. A total of five people were charged in the case and Sutherland-Kayseas and McKenzie are the last to be sentenced.

Due to the fact that when their trial started, another co-accused was still facing a potential jury trial, a publication ban was ordered by Madame Justice Zerr on all the evidence. That order has now been lifted.

Sheena Billette had four young children. (Facebook)

The court heard Billette had been stabbed 47 times. (Facebook)

At the time of her death, Billette was working as a substitute teacher and was also taking classes at the local college for nursing and education. She, however, also owed a drug debt (estimated between $500 and $800) to Deborah McKenzie and in the early morning hours of Dec. 23, was picked up from a residence in La Ronge.

Among the people who went to see Billette was Sutherland-Kayseas, who is a known high-ranking member of a well known street gang.

After arriving at a separate address in the community, Billette was taken inside and beaten up to the point where she had a bloody nose and mouth and the side of her face was severely swollen. A blood stain later found on a couch in the home was used to match her DNA.

Billette was then ordered by Sutherland-Kayseas to get on her knees and told to apologize.

“Say ‘sorry’ bitch, say it louder,” Sutherland-Kayseas was overheard yelling.

Billette complied but was then kicked and punched in the face and back of the head. When she reached out for help from others in the room, her hand was slapped away by Sutherland-Kayseas.

Around 4 a.m., Billette was dragged from the residence and forced into the back of a black Chevrolet Impala. Four other people hopped in and Sutherland-Kayseas sat in the back seat with Billette, along with another person. Telsa McKenzie was driving and Charlie Charles sat in the front passenger seat.

The vehicle then headed towards Highway 102 before heading north at Lamp Lake Road. Billette, who was stabbed at least 47 times along the way, was dropped off soon after and managed to walk about 250 metres before collapsing.

When they returned to the previous address, Sutherland-Kayseas told McKenzie what happened, and said Billette was crying and referred to her as a (expletive) old bitch.

Around 5:30 a.m., a man driving along Highway 102 came across Billette’s body and called EMS.

Police located one set of footprints in the snow and followed them to an area where there was a tire impression and a pool of blood.

At 6:45 a.m., the Impala was captured on security camera at a gas station in Air Ronge before it travelled to Prince Albert.

That’s where Charlie Charles and the other person in the back seat were dropped off. McKenzie was then told to drive to Christopher Lake, where she hid the vehicle in a garage.

Sheena’s father Willie Billlette stands with Buffalo River Dene Nation Chief Norma Catarat. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

While it’s not clear whether it was Sutherland-Kayseas or the other person in the back seat who stabbed Billette, McKenzie told police they had not planned not to kill Billette, but rather leave her injured in the woods.

The autopsy was done on Dec. 27 and found Billette died from multiple sharp force injuries to the head and torso, leading to excessive blood loss. The blunt force trauma to Billette’s head was listed as a contributing factor.

It was also noted had Billette survived, she would have been unable to walk as one of the stab wounds had severed her spinal cord.

Previously sentenced in the case were Charlie Charles, who was 21 at the time of the offence, and while being a party to what transpired but was not involved in the assault, received eight years for manslaughter.

Admitting to consuming cocaine, Charles said he had no memory of the incident.

Telsa Jane Mckenzie was sentenced in January of last year and received just over four and a half years. With credit for time spent in remand custody, she had less than three months left to serve.

Also accused with accessory after the fact to murder was Kandi Rose Ratt, but her charge was later stayed by the Crown. The other person who was in the car and in the back seat, was seriously assaulted during an unrelated matter and remains in hospital with significant head trauma, with no recovery prognosis.

At the time of her death, Billette was a mother of four and her children were all under the age of 11.

When Charlie Charles was sentenced, a total of 10 victim impact statements were read in court including one by Billette’s mother and father. Willie Billette told Charles he had no idea what his family had been put through.

“You shattered a life and you left us to pick up the pieces,” he said, adding they struggle every day to cope and some days cannot eat or sleep.

“Did she beg for her life? Did she cry out for her mom and dad? Did she cry out for her babies before she was killed?” Willie asked Charles adding he bet the mother of four fought her five assailants “like a warrior.”

Billette’s mom Gladys explained she was forced to retire as a teacher to look after her grandkids, who she noted get bullied at school because they have no mother.

“It’s been a living hell the past four years and there’s many more to come,” she said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell