2 women sentenced for roles in violent 2019 death of La Ronge mother

WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.

Sheena Marie Billette was a "daughter, sister, niece, spouse, community member, and friend," and "most importantly, she was the mother of four children, now ages 15, 11, 7 and 6," a Saskatchewan judge says.

On Dec. 23, 2019, the 28-year-old became known by another descriptor: Jane Doe, after her badly beaten and unidentifiable body was found in a ditch outside the northern Saskatchewan community of La Ronge.

Last month, two women were sentenced for their roles in her death.

Deborah McKenzie, 35, was sentenced to 10 years for manslaughter and four years for kidnapping, while Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas, 29, was sentenced to 12 years for manslaughter and four years for kidnapping, according to a written decision delivered by Justice Krista Zerr released on Dec. 19, 2024 — five years after Billette's death.

Both had initially been charged with first-degree murder.

"On Aug. 19, 2024, I found Deborah McKenzie and Sharise Sutherland-Kayseas guilty of kidnapping Sheena Billette and, as parties to the offence, unlawfully causing her death, thereby committing manslaughter," Zerr wrote in her sentencing decision.

"The impact of these offences upon Sheena's family, friends, and community cannot be overstated."

Billette's battered body was found by a passerby on Dec. 23, 2019. RCMP appealed to the public for help, as she had been stabbed 47 times and beaten so badly she could not be identified. It took 24 hours for someone to identify her as Billette.

Two other people accused in Billette's death have already been sentenced.

Telsa Mackenzie pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2023 and was sentenced to four years, nine months in prison. Charlie Charles pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and was sentenced to eight years.

'Directed the horrible beating'

According to Zerr's August decision finding Deborah McKenzie and Sutherland-Kayseas guilty, court heard that Billette was badly beaten at a home on Quandt Crescent in La Ronge just before Christmas in 2019, before being forced into a car with four other people.

The Crown maintained McKenzie directed Sutherland-Kayseas and three others, including Charlie Charles and Telsa McKenzie, to force Billette into the vehicle, drive her away from the home and kill her.

She wrote she was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that McKenzie and Sutherland-Kayseas "formed an intention" with the others to "[kidnap] a badly-beaten Sheena Billette," driving her away from the Quandt Crescent home "and abandoning her in an isolated location."

"I am further satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that, while carrying out the unlawful purpose, one or more of the [vehicle's] occupants committed murder," and "that a reasonable person in all the circumstances would have foreseen that a probable consequence of carrying out the kidnapping and abandonment was a risk of non-trivial bodily harm to Sheena Billette."

However, it couldn't be determined which person had actually committed the murder, Zerr wrote.

In her December sentencing decision, she wrote that McKenzie "directed the horrible beating that rendered Sheena Billette unrecognizable."

"During the beating, Ms. McKenzie was overtly callous and heartless. When Sheena apologized, Ms. McKenzie laughed at her," her decision said.

McKenzie also provided the vehicle used in the kidnapping, and Billette was driven away from the home with four other people, Zerr wrote.

She also wrote that during the beating, "Sutherland-Kayseas forced Sheena into a humiliating posture and made her apologize, while punching her in the head more than once with maximum force."

When the people in the vehicle came back, McKenzie "took steps to avoid detection and prosecution," Zerr's decision said. 

She also noted, though, that "when the horrific stabbing occurred, Ms. McKenzie was not present. Nor do I have any evidence of Ms. Sutherland-Kayseas's role at the roadside, if any."

Her decision also made reference to victim impact statements provided by Billette's family and community.

"I cannot agree more with Sheena's mother, Gladys Billette, when she describes Sheena's death as useless, inhumane and senseless," Zerr wrote.

"Her impact statement captures the enduring nature of grief. I am sadly aware that the impact of this trauma will echo for generations."