Woman facing murder charge previously killed 2 Saskatoon teens while driving stolen truck
A 29-year-old woman charged with murder in the presumed death of a missing Saskatoon woman was also responsible for the deaths of two teens in 2014.
Cheyann Peeteetuce, made her first court appearance on Tuesday morning after she was charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of Megan Gallagher.
Peeteetuce is the sixth person arrested in connection with Gallagher’s death and the second charged with first-degree murder.
Gallagher, 30, was last seen in September 2020. Saskatoon police have been treating her disappearance as a homicide investigation since January 2021.
Her family has routinely attended the court dates of those accused in her death.
On Tuesday they were joined by the family of James Paul Haughey and Sarah Wensley, two teenagers killed by Peeteetuce in 2014 after she stole a truck and crashed into their vehicle.
“I'm not surprised at all to see her, not at all,” said Sarah's dad David.
In December 2014, Peeteetuce pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death, possession of a stolen vehicle, impaired driving and evading police.
She was sentenced to six years.
David said he monitors Peeteetuce's interactions with the justice system and had actually planned to see her appear in connection with another matter.
"We just found out yesterday that she was charged for the murder of Megan Gallagher and it really brought back a lot of emotions," he said.
James Paul’s parents, Marilou and Alex, were also in attendance for Peeteetuce's court appearance.
“I’m shaking. The last time I saw her was during the sentencing,” Marilou said.
“This is the first time that I saw her face, and everything just brings back what she has taken from us, what she has taken from Dave and now with Megan. It just makes me so sick," she said.
Peeteetuce served two-thirds of her six-year sentence before she was granted statutory release in 2018 on conditions imposed by the Parole Board of Canada.
“They released her — like I hate to say it — but we told you so,” Alex said.
Marilou said the family wrote letters to the parole board opposing Peeteetuce’s release, but they “didn’t listen”.
“Maybe this is justice — if they can lock her up for good. Maybe this is the justice that I've been praying to give JP and Sarah,” Marilou said.
"They couldn't bring back my JP and I live with it every single day. He's my only child and she took away every single thing from us," she said.
Megan's father Brian believes that if Peeteetuce had been labelled a dangerous offender, Megan might still be alive.
"There is a strong possibility that most of this could have been avoided if the justice system, and I don't know whether if it's the justice system or anybody in particular, if different steps had been taken,” he said.
Brian had expressed frustration on Monday after the other person accused of first-degree murder in his daughter's death, Robert Thomas, appeared in court by phone and declined to have his charges read out.
He called it "meaningful" to see Peeteetuce in person and to hear her charges read aloud.
“Probably the most important factor was the actual reading of the charges in front of us and having getting the opportunity to see the young lady,” Brian said.
In addition to Peeteetuce and Thomas, four others stand accused in Gallagher's presumed homicide — each facing a charge of offering an indignity to human remains.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.