Saskatoon police officer describes ‘gruesome scene’ of Nykera Brown’s murder

A Saskatoon murder trial began Monday for a man accused of killing his girlfriend. Laura Woodward explains.

This story contains details some readers may find disturbing.

The trial for a man accused of killing his girlfriend began Monday at Saskatoon’s Court of King’s Bench.

Andrew Rosenfeldt, 28, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Nykera Brown.

On Nov. 15, 2022, Cst. Brett Friesen responded to a 911 call reporting a woman who had been shot inside a unit at 124 Avenue P South.

Inside, he found Brown lying on the floor of a dark room.

Friesen said her long hair was soaked in a liquid. Once illuminated with a flashlight, he realized it was “blood pooling around her head.”

“It was a very gruesome scene,” Friesen told the court.

The judge warned the gallery before photos of the scene were shown. Brown’s family stayed, holding each other as the images appeared.

Police photos of Rosenfeldt in custody were also shown. One of his black Nike slides, seized by officers, appeared to have blood on the white logo.

What Rosenfeldt told police

Friesen testified that Rosenfeldt told him “they had been home-invaded by two individuals dressed in all black clothing.”

Rosenfeldt said he was lying in a bed in the living room when he heard the door open, followed by a loud boom. When he looked up, he claimed he saw two people running away.

“Initially, he told me that the individuals had run out the west-facing doors of the building,” Friesen testified.

“Leading up to these events, he had stated that he was in an argument with the victim.”

Questions about jail informant witness

The trial opened with a voire dire, a trial within a trial to determine whether a witness is credible or qualified to testify.

Defence lawyer Chris Murphy raised concern about a man who shared a jail cell with Rosenfeldt for one night and allegedly heard a confession from him.

Murphy questioned the credibility of the Crown witness, suggesting he may have been under the influence of drugs when he spoke to police and may have had ulterior motives for coming forward.

He told the court the Crown refused to share key information about the jail informant.

Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Addabor argued Murphy hasn’t been clear about what disclosure he needs.

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“He’s not specific. He just generalizes ‘everything’ and that has been my problem,” Addabor said.

Inside the courtroom, Rosenfeldt sat in the prisoner’s box clean-shaven, wearing glasses and a graphic t-shirt. His mother sat in the gallery.

Brown’s family wore purple sweaters in her memory.

Members of Megan Gallagher’s family — whose own homicide case ended last week with Roderick Sutherland’s manslaughter conviction — attended court to show support for Brown’s family.