A 23-year-old Saskatoon woman is going to prison for four years after pleading guilty to manslaughter.
Trinity Squirrel, 22, was found injured in a ditch just outside of Saskatoon on April 15, 2022. He died at the scene.
Shanelle Crowe pleaded guilty earlier this year for her role in his death.
The circumstances around Squirrel’s death cannot be reported because of a publication ban. Prosecutor Sheryl Fillo requested the ban because two other accused are scheduled to stand trial for second-degree murder next year.
It was a dramatic day in court Tuesday. Squirrel’s aunt and grandmother heard the details of Squirrel’s death while sitting directly behind Crowe in the gallery. Crowe was not in custody and came to court on her own.
“I am appalled by the brutality around the death of Trinity Squirrel,” said Judge Doug Agnew in accepting a joint sentencing submission from Fillo and defence lawyer Marie-Therese Bayda.
One of the reasons Crowe’s original sentencing was pushed back was for Gladue factors — systematic and mental health factors judges take into account when dealing with Indigenous offenders — to be considered.
Court heard that Crowe has a history of substance abuse, gang activity and residential schools in her family. She had a complicated childhood, bouncing between foster care and group homes. Before this incident, Crowe never had a criminal record.
Crowe’s upbringing was described by Bayda as steeped in “poverty, transiency and neglect.”
Bayda suggested that Crowe serve her sentence at the Okimaw Ohci healing lodge in Maple Creek, Sask., saying that her background made her an ideal candidate for the traditional healing practices that the lodge would offer.
Judge Agnew said that he didn’t have enough information on the lodge to make that recommendation at this time.
Squirrel’s mother Jamie Young spoke about her son and his life in an interview with CBC in May 2022.
The court heard that Young has since died, but a victim impact statement from her was one among many were presented in court.
Young described her son as an active father and family member. He was a volunteer firefighter who enjoyed creating art and poetry. His family has struggled with his passing and described him as “always smiling.”
Squirrel’s 19-year-old sister, Serenity Squirrel, said that the bond between two siblings is unbreakable. She also spoke to CBC in 2022 about the love she will always hold for her late brother.
“There’s a connection that you can never really spark with anybody else,” Serenity said.
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