Keesha Bitternose died from 'multiple injuries' of sharp and blunt force trauma: forensic pathologist

Whitehawk's murder trial enters second day WATCH: Dillon Whitehawk's first-degree murder trial continued, with a forensic pathologist testifying. Allison Bamford has the details.

Warning: The following story contains details that may be disturbing.

Keesha Bitternose died as a result of “multiple injuries,” including sharp and blunt force trauma as well as a possible gunshot wound, according to the autopsy results.

Dillon Whitehawk, 28, is on trial for first-degree murder in Bitternose’s death.

Whitehawk is accused of killing Bitternose on Jan. 2, 2020, although police did not find her body until Jan. 5, 2020 at a home in the 1500 block of Cameron Street.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Andreea Nistor performed the autopsy on Bitternose two days after her body was found.

On Tuesday, Nistor testified to there being “easily a hundred or more” injuries, including lacerations, stab wounds, punctures and bruises, on Bitternose’s body with at least 17 stab wounds or “sharp force injuries” to her face and neck.

“There are multiple injuries of various kinds on all sides of the head,” Nistor said.

“There were so many that I couldn’t even describe them.”

Three injuries fractured the skull, “which requires a certain amount of force to break through the skull,” she said, adding none of the injuries on her body appeared to damage any “major blood vessels.”

Nistor could not determine which exact injury led to Bitternose’s death, but the autopsy results found it was a combination of blood loss, a collapsed lung and blunt force trauma to the head.

Graphic details and photographs of the scene are hard for Bitternose’s family members to digest.

Crown prosecutors have requested gruesome pictures not be shown on the big screens in the courtroom out of courtesy for the family.

“Sitting in court today and hearing what they did to my daughter, the thing that goes through my mind is what does his mother feel that her son did to my daughter?”  Louise Bitternose, Keesha’s mother, said.

“Gang life and rumors, it was so senseless. This is something that we’re all doing to each other. Our people are doing this to each other.“

Bitternose’s family believes she was tortured.

Jeannette Anderson, Bitternose’s kokum, said she knew she was getting caught up in gangs based on social media posts. Anderson didn’t want to see her granddaughter go down that path.

“As grandparents we were not supposed to be burying our young kids. They were supposed to be burying us but it’s not working that way anymore because of gang life, violence and drugs,” Anderson said.

Bitternose was Anderson’s oldest grandchild. She said she was a smart girl and a role model to her siblings. Anderson added she does not want the details in court to be what she remembers about Bitternose.

“When I’m sitting there I even picture her smiling, being happy and that’s what is giving me the strength to sit there and listen and be there for my family.”

Bitternose grew up on George Gordon First Nation. After high school, she moved to Regina to further her education, Anderson said. The mother of four had aspirations of becoming a social worker. She had plans to go back to school to get her Masters degree.

“She was Keesha. Everybody knew her. She was just fun. Even her eyes, her big beautiful eyes just told you, showed you how happy she was,” Louise said.

POSSIBILITY OF GUNSHOT WOUND

Nistor told court that a CT scan conducted on Bitternose’s body found small metal fragments in her abdomen. Radiologists believed they were pieces of surgical clips from a past surgery. However, these fragments were not located or tested during autopsy.

Nistor did not examine the body for gunshot residue during the autopsy, she said, as there was no indication at the time that Bitternose had been shot.

However, she re-examined her findings upon the request of police and crown prosecutors, who asked her if any of the injuries could have been gunshot wounds.

“A bullet may have entered the body through the backside, between two ribs, through the liver and then exited on the front,” Nistor said, referring to two wounds that she originally thought were stab and puncture wounds.

“It would have lacerated the liver (and) disrupted the tissue.”

It is possible that the metal fragments found in the CT scan were bullet fragments, she said.

Nistor could not definitively determine if Bitternose was shot or not. However, she said if there was a gunshot wound, she does not believe that would change the cause of death.

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Thomas Hynes highlighted the fact that there was inconclusive evidence of a gunshot wound.

He asked Nistor if there were burns or soot markings on Bitternose’s skin, marking that would be consistent with gunshots. Nistor said no.

Hynes questioned Nistor about the bruises around Bitternose’s neck. Nistor said she did not see any indication that Bitternose was strangled but she could not rule it out.

The crown prosecutors presented a three-point theory why they believe Whitehawk is guilty of first-degree murder.

David Belanger, co-crown prosecutor, argues that the alleged murder was gang related, Bitternose was unlawfully confined at the time of her murder, and the alleged murder was planned and deliberate.

Kelly Stonechild and Kurt Thomas pleaded guilty to manslaughter in relation to Bitternose’s death.

Bitternose’s family said justice was not served in those cases. They want to see Whitehawk convicted and handed a life sentence.

“I don’t think the healing even has begun. Once this is over, that’s when the healing will start,” Louise said.

Earlier this year, Whitehawk was convicted of two separate first-degree murders that occurred weeks before Bitternose’s death.

The judge cannot be influenced by past convictions in her decision.