Two of the accused in the homicide of a La Ronge woman in 2019 have begun their trial.
On Monday morning at Court of King’s Bench in Prince Albert, Deborah McKenzie and Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas began their trial charged with the first-degree murder of Sheena Billette.
The two are also charged with kidnapping and forcible confinement.
Outside the first day of testimony, Sheena Billette’s father Willie Billette said it has been a long process and he hopes the trial can bring justice.
“After living through this agony for the last four years, the day has finally arrived to go to trial for these two co-defendants and I have mixed feelings right now,” said Billette. “It’s tough to live with what happened to my daughter.”
The trial is scheduled to run for three weeks with 22 witnesses set to testify.
However, he courts have imposed a publication ban on the evidence heard at the trial. This is because another defendant is still awaiting trial and the court is concerned a possible jury in that trial may be tarnished by the evidence presented in this trial.
A fourth accused pleaded guilty to manslaughter last year and was handed a three and a half year prison sentence.
McKenzie and Sutherland-Kayseas, who have been on remand since they were first charged, will remain on remand for the duration of the trial.