Parole board revokes release of Sask. woman who strangled her friend to death

A woman who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the strangling death of her friend 10 years ago has had her statutory release revoked after incurring new charges.

In 2018, Cheyenne Antoine was sentenced to seven years in federal prison on a charge of manslaughter for strangling her one-time friend Brittney Gargol with a belt in March 2015 and dumping her body near Valley Road, just west of Saskatoon.

Antoine was given statutory release in May 2024 after serving two-thirds of her sentence and sent to Aventa — a Calgary-based drug treatment facility for women.

According to a Jan. 13 report from the Parole Board of Canada, that release was short-lived, as Antoine was found with drug supplies in her room and amphetamine in her system.

“You relapsed and absconded from Aventa the day after release,” the Parole Board says in its report.

Antoine remained unlawfully at large until June 2, 2024, when she was arrested by police after two carjackings and a high-speed chase. She now faces new charges for robbery, flight from police, dangerous driving and resisting arrest.

Antoine told the parole board she was living on the streets and using heavily over the month she was unlawfully at large. She reported overdosing on more than one occasion, waking up in hospital and fleeing before being apprehended.

She told her parole officer that the morning of her apprehension she called the police to turn herself in and come pick her up.

“You state that they refused, so you felt you had to steal the vehicles to turn yourself in,” the parole board said.

“You repeatedly justified your actions by stating you had no other choice, the system set you up for failure, and eventually hung up on your parole officer.”

In its Jan. 13 ruling, the parole board determined Antoine presents too great a risk to be managed in the community at this time, and opted to revoke her statutory release. That may be reviewed at a later date.