Witness at murder trial testifies accused gave her money to clean basement where Reno Lee was allegedly held

A witness at the trial of three men accused of killing Reno Lee in 2015 testified Tuesday that she sold drugs for one of the accused and was given money to clean a basement where Lee was allegedly confined against his will.

Bronson Gordon, Daniel Theodore and Andrew Bellegarde are on trial at Regina's Court of Queen's Bench, charged with first-degree murder and committing an indignity to a body. All three have pleaded not guilty.

Lee's remains were found on the Star Blanket First Nation on April 30, 2015, but it was later determined he died in Regina.

Court has previously heard that Lee died after he was shot twice in the head. His body was dismembered and beheaded and then buried in a shallow grave on the Star Blanket First Nation.

The witness who testified Tuesday was asked about her actions between April 16 and 20, 2015. It's believed Lee was killed within that time frame.

The witness testified that on April 16, 2015 — the date police believe Lee was killed — she was getting ready for bed when she learned that people were coming over to her Garnet Street home.

The witness had received a phone call from Theodore but she handed it over to someone else, who is also a witness in the trial. Neither can be named due to a publication ban.

The woman who testified Tuesday said it's difficult for her to say precisely what time the events of that night occurred, because she was on drugs and said her sense of time is sometimes distorted in that state.

She said in previous testimony that she doesn't remember everyone who was in the group that came to the house, and went directly into the basement, but said she remembers seeing Lee and one of his accused killers, Theodore.

Her previous testimony indicated that Lee appeared visibly "stressed." Theodore would later ask for zip ties and duct tape but the witness said she did not have any.

The witness said Theodore left about half an hour later, but then returned to the house. The witness said that she recalled that at some point after the men came into the house, she moved a bag with guns in it out of the way because it was blocking the doorway. She said she only knew there were guns were inside because she saw them.

The witness was told someone in the basement was tied up but she testified she didn't go down to see for herself.

She said she "felt a bad vibe" that night, but did not see anything that happened to Lee. 

She testified earlier in the week that she had left the home and when she returned the next morning, it reeked of bleach and the house was muddy and dirty.

The witness said Gordon and Theodore had instructed her to clean the home and get rid of the garbage. Gordon gave her money and told her not to worry about the situation, she said.

She said another witness told her they found a shotgun in the basement on April 17 before covering it with a cloth. She was told it was sawed-off and about 18-24 inches long.

She said she didn't actually go into the basement until April 19 or 20, 2015.​

The witness added that she was angry about the events of April 16 and 17, saying they turned her world upside down.

Lawyers also questioned her Tuesday about a 1-800 number linked to mobile banking that she called four times that night, between 1 a.m. and just after 2 a.m. CST.

They asked if she was calling to check on a payment coming to her but she said she didn't remember.

The witness said she owed Gordon money because she was selling drugs for him, but said she did not owe him a "debt." She said the money would be repaid after all of the drugs had been sold.