Nearly five years have passed since Sheena Billette’s lifeless body was found along a stretch of highway north of La Ronge. (Facebook/Sheena Billette)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court

Crown seeks life sentences for two accused in La Ronge manslaughter case

Oct 26, 2024 | 9:43 AM

CONTENT WARNING: Descriptions of violence

While the typical range of sentencing for a manslaughter conviction is four to 12 years, the Crown prosecutor handling a trial at Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert is proposing life sentences are more appropriate given what he referred to as the brutal and horrific nature of the evidence.

Sentencing hearings started Friday for both Deborah McKenzie and Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas. After a lengthy trial, both were found guilty last August of manslaughter in the death of Sheena Billette.

In the early morning hours of Dec. 23, 2019, the 28-year-old mother of four young children, was found deceased along a stretch of highway north of La Ronge.

Hours prior she had been taken to a house in the community, where she had been beaten, tortured and forced to beg over a drug debt in the amount of $500 to $800.

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Billette had 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.

Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas is known to have ties to a street gang. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW)

After the vicious assault that left her face bloodied and swollen, Billette was then dragged from the house and forced into the back of a car, where she was stabbed over 40 times before being dropped off and forced to walk in the freezing cold. She got as far as about 250 metres before collapsing.

A total of five people were charged in the case and McKenzie and Sutherland-Kayseas represent the last to be sentenced.

Referring to the case as close to murder as one can get, Prosecutor Shawn Blackman listed a number of reasons for the proposed life sentences including the involvement of premeditation and planning, the duration of the events, and the role each woman played in the death of Billete.

Blackman also noted the fact the murder had occurred to a young indigenous woman and mother of four young children, just days before Christmas.

According to facts heard at the trial, it was McKenzie’s house where Billette was taken and she was the one who Billette owed. Blackman also mentioned that while in custody she has completed programming, but she has shown no remorse for her actions.

Meanwhile Sutherland-Kayseas was described as the muscle and a high ranking member of a street gang.

While Sutherland-Kayseas had been in the back seat with Billette, and has a prior conviction for a murder that occurred just months before Billette’s death, it was not proven in court she was the one who stabbed Billette.

Deborah McKenzie. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW)

Victim impact statements

As part of Friday’s sentencing hearing, roughly half a dozen victim impact statements were read in court and were written by family members, as well as representatives from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, as well as the Chief of Buffalo River Dene Nation.

Gladys Billette, Sheena’s mother, was not present, but her statement was read in court by a victim’s services worker. Gladys said her daughter died a useless death.

She then went on to explain how the family can no longer celebrate big events.

“You’ve changed our lives forever,” she said, adding she personally suffers from anxiety every time she hears her grandchildren cry.

Willie Billette, Sheena’s father, as he has done on two previous occasions, read his statement in person and recalled how on the day of his daughter’s death, they had gone out shopping and put presents under the tree.

“Sheena never opened her present, and she will never open another present,” he said, noting the family was forced to spent that Christmas arranging a funeral.

Speaking directly to McKenzie, Willie told McKenzie she knew Sheena had a family. He then referred to the fact it was McKenzie who had told Sheena to beg for mercy.

“Kneel before me and beg for forgiveness for the life you shattered,” he said.

As he moved from the witness booth to his seat in the gallery, Willie walked past the prisoner’s booth and glared at both McKenzie and Sutherland-Kayseas.

Billette’s aunt Yolanda has been caring for the children. She noted how they will never again be cuddled and soothed by their mother and to this day cry everyday for their mother.

Yolanda also acknowledged her own feelings of helplessness, trying to help her sister.

“There is nothing I can do to take her pain away. How helpless is that,” she asked.

FSIN Vice-Chief Aly Bear wrote Billette’s death had a big impact on the close knit community, and while noting the systematic issues at the heart of the events, expressed her hope Billette’s death will spark change.

The trial has been adjourned to Nov. 4 for defence arguments.

Previously sentenced in the case was Charlie Charles, who was 21 at the time of the incident, 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 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.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell