SASKATOON – Sebastian Sanderson, 22, was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences in the deaths of Kira Opoonechaw, 19, and Phoenix Checkosis, 21. Sanderson can apply for parole in 10 years.
Sanderson was originally charged with two counts of second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of manslaughter. He was sentenced on Jan. 29 in Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench.
Opoonechaw and Checkosis were found with stab wounds on Jan. 19, 2022, after Saskatoon police had responded to the area of the 400 block of Ave. B North. They were both taken to hospital where they died.
Sanderson was arrested not far from the scene. Saskatoon police had said that Sanderson knew Opoonechaw, who was from James Smith Cree Nation, and Checkosis, who was from Poundmaker Cree Nation.
A day before Sanderson was sentenced, Opoonechaw’s mother Tamara Opoonechaw, posted on social media, “No matter what happens it's never gonna change a damn thing. The only thing now is we can let them rest. It hurts cause they are never coming back.”
She also said that her daughter and Checkosis were “best friends till the end.”
On the day of Sanderson’s sentencing, Opoonechaw’s sister Kandace Opoonechaw posted “There will be days where all I wanna do is cry. I miss them so much and to this day I still wonder why them?”
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