SaskatchewanJessica Taylor says her niece and nephew will experience a “lifetime of trauma” after their father, James Stonechild, killed their mother, Amanda Keewatin, at Okanese First Nation.James Stonechild pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder of Amanda Keewatin Bonnie Allen · CBC News · Posted: Sep 17, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: September 17Amanda ‘Mandy’ Keewatin was murdered by her partner of six years, James Stonechild of Okanese First Nation, on Sept. 24, 2024. (Submitted by Jessica Taylor)Jessica Taylor struggled to contain her rage as she sat in a Regina courtroom and listened to her sister’s killer talk about finding Jesus.”I was holding back so much anger. It felt like my head would explode,” she said. “We allowed that man to sit with us at our table at Thanksgiving meals, Christmas meals, family celebrations.”Taylor is most angry about the “lifetime of trauma” she said her niece and nephew will experience after their father, James Stonechild, stabbed their mother, Amanda “Mandy” Keewatin, to death at Okanese First Nation.Stonechild, 40, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in August and was sentenced last week in Regina Court of King’s Bench to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.In an interview with CBC News, Taylor said her four-year-old niece talks about murder while playing with Barbies or getting an afternoon snack.A week before the sentencing, her grandmother used a bread knife to cut an apple for the girl.”She said, ‘That’s what Daddy used on Mommy,'” Taylor said.WATCH | Jessica Taylor shares traumatic aftermath of sister’s stabbing: Woman shares traumatic aftermath of sister being stabbed to death by partner while her kids were homeJessica Taylor says her niece and nephew will experience a “lifetime of trauma” after their father, James Stonechild, stabbed their mother, Amanda “Mandy” Keewatin, to death at Okanese First Nation. Stonechild pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.A toxic relationshipOn Sept. 24, 2024, the File Hills First Nations Police Service got a report of an injured person in a home at Okanese First Nation, 100 kilometres northeast of Regina. Stonechild greeted an officer and said, “She’s gone,” then added, “And I guess you need to take me in for murder,” according to court documents.Keewatin, a 32-year-old woman from Peepeekisis Cree Nation, was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.Both children were in the home. The boy appeared to be sleeping and the girl was awake, sitting on her bed.James Stonechild pleaded guilty to killing the mother of his children in September 2024. (James Stonechild/Facebook)Stonechild and Keewatin had an on-again, off-again relationship for six years, according to Taylor, who said her sister suffered mental and physical abuse. At times, she needed treatment for her injuries, Taylor said.”She had left him multiple times,” Taylor said. “We’re like, ‘Get out of this relationship. What are you doing?’ But I think it’s easier said than done.”Taylor said her sister was a loving mother who enjoyed being silly and teasing her family and friends, but struggled with mental health and addiction issues. Stonechild had custody of their two children, and that kept the couple entwined.”She wanted to be a mother to them,” Taylor said. “She was struggling, but she was still there for them.”Court heard that Stonechild stabbed Keewatin multiple times on that day in September.”The judge had told us that we may never know why he did that, even though, you know, in his statement to us, he said that he was mentally unstable, hearing voices and like suicidal,” Taylor said. “But to me, like, you know, my anger that I’m feeling, it just felt like those were just excuses, you know?”Amanda ‘Mandy’ Keewatin, or wāhpân-âcahk-iskwēw (Morningstar woman), was known for poking fun at her friends and family. (Tubman Funeral Home)Stonechild opted to plead guilty to second-degree murder, saving the family from enduring a trial. Taylor said she appreciated the quick resolution, but told the court it did little to soothe the family’s pain. She found his statement in court infuriating.”He’s saying, ‘I’m sorry for your loss. Like, I found the Bible. I found Jesus,'” she said. “That was just making me more angry. And, you know, you can’t lash out in a courtroom.”In her victim impact statement, Taylor talked about seeing the world different now.”I no longer see life through a lens of joy or security. Instead, I see pain, fear, and the devastating power one person’s cruelty can unleash.”She said no prison sentence could ever be long enough to count as justice.”I’m just so angry.”ABOUT THE AUTHORBonnie Allen is a senior news reporter for CBC News based in Saskatchewan. She has covered stories from across Canada and around the world, reporting from various African countries for five years. She holds a master’s degree in international human rights law from the University of Oxford. You can reach her at bonnie.allen@cbc.ca
‘I’m just so angry’: Sask. woman says life sentence isn’t enough for sister’s murderer
