Cheyann Peeteetuce, the 25-year-old woman who killed two teens after crashing a stolen truck in Saskatoon, has been released from prison on a legislated statutory release.
The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) said the decision was made on April 24 after a review.
Her six-year sentence, handed down on June 12, 2015, sparked public outrage and the victims’ families called it a joke. Peeteetuce had already served one year and eight months so time remaining to serve was four years, four months, and seven days.
Peeteetuce pleaded guilty to seven charges including two counts of dangerous driving causing death stemming from the two-vehicle collision on May 5, 2014.
WATCH: Police dashcam footage from fatal 22nd Street crash
Peeteetuce killed Sarah Wensley and James Haughey, both 17, at the intersection of 22nd Street West and Avenue M while driving impaired.
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Inside one vehicle, Haughey and Wensley were killed instantly, and a third teen in the backseat sustained over 30 fractures.
At the time of the collision, Peeteetuce, 21, was behind the wheel, without a licence, and fleeing from police in the stolen truck.
The Crown had sought a 12-year sentence, while the defence pursued six. In not filing an appeal, the Crown said there was “no reasonable likelihood of finding fault in the ruling.”
In handing down his sentence, the judge paid particular attention to Peeteetuce’s upbringing, which included witnessing substance abuse and being exposed to violence perpetrated against her mother.
Shortly after the birth of Peeteetuce’s daughter, she started using hard drugs and alcohol. She entered into a violent relationship, and would lose her second child when he was just 10 month old to an opiate overdose while the infant was allegedly in the care of his father’s parents.
Peeteetuce would begin selling herself to pay for drugs and joined the street gang known as the Indian Posse.
Her psychological assessment report stated she presents as a low-moderate risk to reoffend violently. A file report said she reported self-harm and three suicide attempts before and after her incarceration.
Following a review, PBC imposed the following conditions as per the recommendation by Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) as she continues to serve her sentence on statutory release.
She is not to consume alcohol as well as associate with anyone involved in criminal activity or substance abuse. Peeteetuce is to follow a treatment plan as arranged by a parole supervisor, which will include psychological counselling.
She is also not to have contact with the victims or their family.
Statutory release is a release by law and is not a decision made by PBC. Offenders on statutory release are required to follow standard conditions set out in the law. They can be returned to prison if they are believed to present an undue risk to the public.
A young offender, who was a passenger in the truck, was sentenced to three years in jail in January 2015 for her involvement.
— With files from Global’s Meaghan Craig
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