By Nigel Maxwell
Nearly a year after a man was shot and killed on the Beardy’s Okemasis Cree Nation, a guilty plea has been entered in the case.
Allison Bear, 21, has received a prison sentence of three and a half years.
The Saskatoon woman had initially been charged with second-degree murder, but entered a guilty plea to manslaughter on March 15.
In addition to her custodial sentence, Bear is also prohibited from owning or possessing any weapons for life.
On March 27, 2022, the RCMP responded to the central Saskatchewan reserve for a report of a shooting.
The victim, 22-year-old Cody Tait, was found lying on the road. Despite lifesaving attempts, he was pronounced dead soon after.
Due to a publication ban, the evidence read during Bear’s sentencing hearing cannot be published, or the reasons given for the sentence.
Typically the range in Saskatchewan for a manslaughter conviction is four to 12 years.
Three others have been charged in the case and have pending court dates.