SASKATOON -- More than a year after a man was found dead in a Saskatoon home, the details of what prompted the killing came to light during the accused’s sentencing hearing.
Winston Littlecrow, 35, was shot in the back on Dec. 7, 2019 in the 200 block of Ave. X North. He later died in hospital.
Eiryn Ashlee Straightnose was charged with first-degree murder in the death. On Monday, she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
During her sentencing, new details of what fuelled the shooting surfaced.
Court heard Straightnose was a member of the Terror Squad gang during the shooting, and Littlecrow was part of the rivalling Indian Posse gang.
The two ended up in a mutual friend’s home the night of the death.
Months before Littlecrow’s death, Straightnose was assaulted with a machete by an Indian Posse member.
So when Straightnose saw a member of the Indian Posse street gang in the home she angrily sent a text message, according to evidence read in court.
“She sent a text to somebody she knew had a gun, who was close by, and wanted him to come over and get this person out of the home — that’s in fact what happened,” Crown prosecutor Melodi Kujawa told reporters.
Straightnose pleaded guilty to the lesser sentence of manslaughter and was handed a nine year sentence, under a joint submission by the Crown and defence.
The judge said Straightnose shows “real potential” in her rehabilitation — pointing to her course completions at Pine Grove Correctional Centre.
“I think why the judge was so hopeful is because this is a young woman who had a very good beginning. She had a part where things fell apart after she got into using crystal meth and got into the gang life,” Kujawa said.
Near the end of the proceedings, when the accused is given the opportunity to speak, Straightnose thanked the judge for sentencing her.
The 22-year-old said she’s looking forward to leaving her gang life behind her and will focus on being a supportive mother to her three kids when she’s released.
