Megan Gallagher homicide: Accused pleads guilty to human-remains charge

One of nine accused in the death of Megan Gallagher pleaded guilty to a charge of offering indignity to human remains, 2½ years after the woman went missing.

Ernest Whitehead's lawyer entered the guilty plea during a hearing at Saskatchewan provincial court in Saskatoon on Monday before Judge Brad Mitchell, who set the sentencing date for May 17.

Crown prosecutor Tyla Olenchuk told the court Whitehead is not in custody.

Gallagher was last seen on Sept. 19, 2020, by her friend and then on surveillance footage the next day at a convenience store at about 6 a.m. CT.

The Métis woman's remains were found while Saskatoon police searched along the South Saskatchewan River near St. Louis in October 2022, about 105 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Police say DNA testing confirmed in November the remains were Gallagher's.

Four people have been charged with first-degree murder in her death, while others face charges for aggravated assault, unlawful confinement and offering an indignity to human remains.

Gallagher's family said it was "dehumanizing" that Whitehead wasn't present in court.

Brian Gallagher, Megan's father, said it's important that the accused "see us, they see what it's done to us."

Her stepmother, Deb Gallagher, said it was "disrespectful" that he wasn't present, but added that Whitehead had attempted to address them in the past but the court wouldn't allow it.

"We'd like to know what he would have to say to us," she said.

The family will return to court on Wednesday when they are expected to read victim impact statements during a hearing for John Wayne Sanderson, 44, who will enter a guilty plea to the charge of offering indignity to human remains. 

A half day has been set aside for sentencing and to hear victim impact statements.

Outside of the courtroom on Monday, Megan's sister, Lindsey Bishop, said coming to court and hearing the facts of the case does not get easier as time goes on.

"I find that some of the stuff I've just heard so much that I'm kind of getting numb to it," she said.

"I'm not completely processing it either, so it's going on the back burner until I have a few minutes or days or weeks to kind of sit with it."