Father calls for reform after murder charge laid against woman who caused fatal crash in 2014

A Saskatoon man says more needs to be done to keep dangerous people behind bars.

Dave Wensley’s daughter, Sarah, was one of two teenagers killed in a 2014 car crash in the city.

Cheyann Crystal Peeteetuce was the woman responsible for causing the crash; police say she drove a stolen truck through a stop sign, hitting the vehicle carrying three teenagers.

In 2015, Peeteetuce pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and was sentenced to six years in prison.

She was given statutory release in 2018 after serving two-thirds of her sentence but was arrested a few months after her release.

In September, she was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Megan Gallagher, a Saskatoon woman who disappeared just over two years ago.

Wensley was in attendance at Saskatoon Provincial Court last Tuesday for Peeteetuce’s first hearing. He called into the John Gormley Show after that court appearance to express his frustration with the revictimization happening in the justice system.

“She’s out after her 4 1/2 years and now she’s doing the same over again. The judges, the justice system is treating her the same way,” he said.

“Nobody cares; they just sugarcoat everything and it just happens again. When are we going to stand up and start getting hard on crime in this country?”

Peeteetuce was serving time at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre for unrelated charges when police charged her with Gallagher’s murder.

On Friday, police located human remains along the South Saskatchewan riverbank near St. Louis. The identity of the remains has yet to be confirmed.

“I don’t know what is wrong with our justice system. I don’t know what is wrong with our politicians, by not taking a stand and trying to fix the situation,” said Wensley. “When is this going to get better?”