'My heart needs to heal properly': Court hears impact statements during sentencing submissions for Dillon Whitehawk

Dillon Whitehawk sat still, staring straight ahead in the courtroom as he listened to the loved ones of Keesha Bitternose detail the pain he’s caused them.

Whitehawk, 28, was back in court for sentencing submissions on Tuesday after he was found guilty of second-degree murder in the January 2020 death of Bitternose.

Bitternose, 29, was brutally murdered inside a house in Regina’s north central neighbourhood on Jan. 2, 2020. Her body was not located until Jan. 5 when police found her inside the home on the 1500 block of Cameron Street.

Whitehawk was initially accused of first-degree murder in her death, however was found guilty of second-degree murder by Justice Janet McMurtry in December of 2022.

Second-degree murder comes with a minimum sentence of life in prison.

Taking Whitehawk’s “noteworthy, even extraordinary criminal record” and the nature of the offence into consideration, Crown prosecutors are seeking the maximum sentence of life in prison with eligibility of parole after 25 years.

“It is hard indeed to conceive of a more aggravating second-degree murder,” said co-Crown prosecutor Adam Breker.

Autopsy results show Bitternose died from multiple injuries including a possible gunshot wound. She was found with more than 100 stab wounds on her body.

Breker described her murder as “horrific, depraved, unspeakably brutal acts of violence” and it was “unlike any other case [the Crown has] come across.”

“Dillon Whitehawk had no reason to repeatedly stab and assault this person and yet he did,” Breker said.

Bitternose was the third person Whitehawk killed in a matter of months. Last year, he was convicted of two separate first-degree murders in the drive-by shooting deaths of Jordan Denton and Keenan Toto.

Whitehawk is currently serving life in prison sentences for those convictions.

Defence lawyer Thomas Hynes argued for a lesser sentence of life in prison with eligibility for parole after 10 years.

Hynes told the judge that Whitehawk should be sentenced for the offence he is guilty of, not for the offence that was acquitted.

Hynes said it is difficult to determine the extent of Whitehawk’s involvement in Bitternose’s death considering two others pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case. They were sentenced to seven and 18 years in prison.

Hynes told court it would be a “mockery” if Whitehawk had to serve 25 years for the crime.

Following the Crown’s submissions, Bitternose’s family members read aloud seven victim impact statements in the courtroom, each describing how much they have suffered since her death.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of her,” said Brianna Bitternose, Keesha’s cousin.

“We will never get to hear her contagious laugh, crazy ideas and little jokes she made.”

Brianna described Keesha as more of an older sister than a cousin.

She said they didn’t find out about Bitternose’s death until Jan. 6, four days after she was killed.

Brianna told court that she went to work on Jan. 3, not knowing that just 500 metres away Bitternose’s body was lying lifeless inside the North Central house.

“No one on this earth deserves to die like she did,” she said.

Bitternose was a mother of four. Her oldest daughter Keirsten submitted a victim impact statement, describing how much she loved her mother.

“She was a good woman. She finished school and wanted me and my brothers to live with her and now we can’t do that,” Keirsten wrote.

Some of Bitternose’s family members said they have forgiven Whitehawk for their own sake to help in their healing.

“My heart needs to heal properly,” said Daralyn Bitternose, Keesha’s sister.

“That’s why I forgive you. I wouldn’t want to be you.”

Bitternose, who grew up in George Gordon First Nation, Sask., joined the Indian Mafia (IM) street gang in the months leading up to her death, according to one witness. She was considered an entry-level “soldier,” but Bitternose was allegedly trying to work her way up in the ranks to a “crew boss.”

Whitehawk, who was considered a crew boss in the IM, allegedly circulated rumours about Bitternose wanting to “eliminate” another member, according to a witness.

Whitehawk allegedly talked about murdering Bitternose in retaliation with another gang member, hours before her death.

DNA that matched Whitehawk’s was found on a glove left on top of Bitternose’s body at the crime scene. Co-Crown prosecutor Adam Breker argued that the DNA along with the location of blood spatters throughout the house corroborated witness testimony.

Whitehawk pleaded not guilty and elected to be tried by judge alone. His trial began in mid-September, 2022.

Whitehawk declined to address the courtroom during sentencing submissions.

Justice McMurtry will now consider the arguments and give her sentencing decision on April 25.