A preliminary hearing for four people accused of kidnapping and killing elementary teacher Sheena Marie Billette, 28, of La Ronge in 2019 is delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charlie Napthalie Charles, Deborah Maggie McKenzie, Telsa Jane McKenzie, and Sharise Justice Sutherland-Kayseas, are all charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and forcible confinement in the death of Billette.
Their preliminary hearing was scheduled to start in La Ronge Provincial Court on Jan. 25, 2021, but has been rescheduled to April 19, 2021. Earlier this month, Saskatchewan鈥檚 provincial courts suspended most trials, preliminary inquiries, and in-person hearings until Feb. 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A passing motorist on Highway 102 found Billette鈥檚 body seven kilometres north of La Ronge at about 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 23, 2019.聽 A month later police arrested and charged the suspects.
In January 2020, Bilette鈥檚 family told CTV News that Billette didn鈥檛 know any of those accused of killing her and she was 鈥渁t the wrong place, wrong time.鈥� They also said Billette was a substitute elementary teacher in La Ronge and left behind four children.
La Ronge is about 213 kilometres north of Prince Albert.
