Press Release:
The Saskatoon Police Service Major Crime Section has arrested a man and charged him with the unlawful confinement and aggravated assault of Megan Gallagher. This is the seventh person arrested in connection to the investigation.
On September 27, 2022, SPS investigators attended to a correctional facility in Saskatoon to effect the arrest of Thomas Richard Sutherland, age 42 (DOB 1980/02/01); he was incarcerated on an unrelated sentence at the time of his arrest. Sutherland was transported to SPS Detention and remains in police custody; he is expected to appear in Saskatoon Provincial Court today, September 28, 2022, at 9:00 a.m.. Investigators anticipate additional arrests as the investigation progresses.
The Saskatoon Police Service is also announcing details relevant to a planned search for Megan. As a result of investigation, and in consultation with Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Ernie Walker and officials from the Water Security Agency, the SPS Major Crime Section will be coordinating an extensive search of the South Saskatchewan River and its banks in the St. Louis, SK area. A number of civilian search and rescue personnel, members of the Provincial Protective Services, and purpose-trained K9 teams from the Calgary Police Service will be assisting in the search.
The search is scheduled to occur over 4 days, beginning Thursday, September 29, 2022 and concluding Sunday, October 2, 2022; it will take place during daytime hours. As this is a search of a potential crime scene, members of the public are advised to avoid the area.
If you have information believed to be relevant to the investigation or planned search, contact the SPS directly at 306-975-8300 or report it anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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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 Saskatoon 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.
