SASKATOON – Three of the nine people charged in Megan Gallagher’s murder have been sentenced in Saskatoon Provincial Court.
Ernest Vernon Whitehead, 41, Jessica Badger [Sutherland], 44, and John Wayne Sanderson, 45, were sentenced on a charge of indignity to human remains. Whitehead was sentenced Wednesday to 739 days in jail. In March, Badger was given a conditional sentence order of two-years less a day, which means she serves it in the community. After her CSO is complete, she will be on probation for 18 months. Sanderson was sentenced to 1,096 days, less 327 days for pre-sentence custody, which meant he had 769 days left to serve.
There is no ban on publication of the details that were presented at the sentencings. Saskatoon Senior Crown Prosecutor Carla Dewar told SASKTODAY.ca that the evidence was presented in a way that wouldn't jeopardize any trials of the remaining accused.
According to court documents, Gallagher was killed in a garage at 709 Weldon Ave. in Saskatoon. She was tied to a chair. Sanderson was called to dispose of Gallagher’s body with his truck. He put her body in his truck before dumping her remains from the St. Louis bridge. Badger provided the gas money.
Gallagher went missing in Saskatoon in September of 2020 and four months later Saskatoon police said they were treating her disappearance as a homicide. On Sept. 29, 2022, police found Gallagher’s remains along the South Saskatchewan River near St. Louis.
Six people are still facing charges and have upcoming court appearances. Thomas Richard Sutherland and Robin Tyler John are charged with unlawful confinement. Roderick William Sutherland, Summer-sky Henry, Cheyann Peeteetuce, and Robert Thomas are charged with first-degree murder.
Preliminary hearings are set for Thomas Sutherland, Robert Thomas, and Summer-sky Henry on June 30. Robin John’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26. Roderick Sutherland is back in Saskatoon court Oct. 16 to enter an election. Cheyann Peeteetuce has case management on June 30.
Brian Gallagher has said that the years of silence of those who knew what happened to his daughter Megan Gallagher caused their family a lot of pain.
“The silence is still taking its toll but breaking the silence works,” he said on social media.
“Indifference is a dangerous thing,” he added. “We need the support of the entire community to keep indifference from happening. One of our concerns is that people become cold and indifferent to these happenings. When this becomes the norm everyone loses. This may be evident in the number of families that live a similar existence.”
— Click for more from Crime, Cops and Court.
