Mother of Saskatoon homicide victim shocked after Crown stays 1st-degree murder charges against 3 accused

Dan Zakreski · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Crystal Duquette says she didn't deliberation thing could comparison to the fearfulness of a Saskatoon constabulary serviceman knocking connected her doorway and saying her girl Melissa had been recovered murdered successful a location connected 33rd Street.

Then her telephone rang past Friday, June 20. It was a Crown prosecutor.

"They said that the charges were stayed and that they were going to beryllium released," Duquette said successful an interview.

"My satellite fell isolated again. My girl was murdered again."

Saskatchewan Justice confirms that first-degree execution charges against Sundance Okemaysim, Kevin Keenatch and Kendall Ameech were stayed earlier this month. Specifics were not provided.

"After cautious consideration, it was determined this lawsuit nary longer met the prosecution standard," an authoritative wrote successful an email.

"Given this assessment, the authoritative directed a enactment of proceedings."

WATCH | Mother shocked aft execution charges stayed against 3 men accused of sidesplitting her daughter: 

Duquette does not know whether the trio are inactive considered suspects, or whether the probe is present veering successful a antithetic direction. A enactment means the Crown has 1 twelvemonth to revive the charges, should the grounds warrant.

"I don't privation to beryllium that angry, bitter person. I can't," she said.

"But I am. I americium angry, I'm hurt, I wanna shriek astatine somebody, you know? Somebody that could marque it better. But there's nary making it better."

• 2 men charged with 1st-degree execution successful April decease of Melissa Duquette successful Saskatoon

Melissa Duquette was 24 erstwhile she was changeable successful the basement of a location connected 33rd Street successful the Dundonald neighbourhood. It was successful April 2024, immoderate 3 months aft Crystal said her girl had pulled retired of a pack lifestyle. It was a scary, hopeful time.

Melissa stayed successful adjacent interaction with her household — she was the 2nd oldest kid — and planned connected moving to Calgary to survey welding. Crystal said Melissa would dainty her siblings to Slurpees and fix things astir the house. She had conscionable started moving successful construction, gathering houses.

"I retrieve her waking up each morning, she would locomotion to work," she said.

"I inactive person her enactment boots."

Duquette said the weeks and months aft her daughter's decease were a blur of emotions. She remembers going to the location connected 33rd Street.

"You could archer determination was a execution there, it was a transgression scene."

She learned from constabulary that suspects had been arrested.

"I don't cognize if I could accidental I was blessed but I felt like, OK, justness is going to beryllium served," she said.

"They person 3 people, they're getting charged with first-degree murder. And I felt like, OK, idiosyncratic fought for my daughter, idiosyncratic did their champion and, first-degree execution for my daughter, it's the champion I could inquire for from the justness system."

Today, she is near with symptom and questions.

"I'm inactive successful shock, it conscionable hurts," she said. "Somebody getting charged with first-degree murder, and past them being released."

Did she get an mentation from constabulary and the prosecutor?

"Not what I wanted to hear."

What did she privation to hear?

"I don't cognize what I wanted to hear. I conscionable didn't privation to perceive that the charges were stayed. It's unfair. [Prosecutors] request to bash better."

Crystal and her different kids inactive sojourn Melissa's resting spot astatine Woodlawn Cemetery.

"I spell beryllium by her grave, my kids bash the aforesaid thing. They'll get a repast and they'll spell walk an hr oregon 2 determination with her," she said.

"I archer her everything. I archer her astir her brothers, I tell her however I'm feeling, who I talked to, and the radical that speech astir her."