Roderick Sutherland guilty of manslaughter in Megan Gallagher case

Roderick Sutherland has been found guilty of manslaughter in the 2020 killing of Megan Gallagher. A 12-person jury at the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon returned the verdict Friday afternoon, following two days of deliberation.

Jurors also found Sutherland guilty on charges of unlawful confinement and offering an indignity to human remains. Family and friends of Gallagher reacted emotionally in court, with sobs and hugs as Justice John Morrall read the verdict.

Megan’s father, Brian Gallagher, said outside court that hearing “guilty” felt like a weight had been lifted. “The only closure we could ever get is if Megan could walk through that door… That’s never going to happen. That’s been taken from us,” he said. He described Megan as a joyful, humorous, and compassionate person who often gave selflessly to help others.

The case has been a long legal journey for the Gallagher family. Megan, 30, disappeared in September 2020 under suspicious circumstances. Police suspected she had been killed shortly after her disappearance. Her remains were discovered two years later on the bank of the South Saskatchewan River, near St. Louis, approximately 105 kilometers northeast of Saskatoon.

During the trial, the jury heard graphic testimony about Gallagher’s death, including that she had been tied to a chair, assaulted, and killed by a group of people in a Saskatoon garage on Sept. 20, 2020.

Several co-accused faced related charges:

• Robert (Bobby) Thomas pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October 2024 and received a life sentence with no parole for 18 years.

• Cheyann Peeteetuce and Summer-Sky Henry pleaded guilty to manslaughter in January 2025, receiving seven-year sentences.

• Ernest Vernon Whitehead, Jessica Badger, and John Wayne Sanderson pleaded guilty to offering an indignity to human remains.

• Charges against Robin John and Thomas Sutherland were stayed before coming to court.

Sutherland’s trial began on October 6, 2025. During closing arguments, the defense claimed Sutherland had been caught in a situation that spiraled out of control and attempted to intervene after Gallagher was restrained. The Crown argued that, while Sutherland did not directly kill Gallagher, she was confined in his garage and he was involved throughout the crime.

Following the verdict, Sutherland was taken into custody. Crown prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt stated, “He was involved in the confinement of a young Indigenous woman who was tortured and suffocated to death. This is an offense that has shocked the community at the highest level.”

Defense lawyer Blaine Beaven expressed disappointment at the verdict and said it was premature to discuss an appeal. He added that Sutherland had been on bail for two years with no intention of fleeing. Justice Morrall ruled that Sutherland be taken into custody.

Sutherland’s sentencing is scheduled for December 19. The defense intends to seek a provincial jail sentence, while the Crown is seeking a longer, double-digit term.