What did Cheyenne Antoine do?
Cheyenne Antoine strangled her best friend Brittney Gargol to death in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada in March 2015. On the night of the 23rd March, Antoine and Gargol enjoyed a night on the town in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but it all ended in tragedy.
Investigators were alerted to a remote road on the outskirts of Saskatoon when a motorist found a female’s dead body not far from a landfill. Police spotted a leather jacket, a watch and a belt at the crime scene and published photos of the victim’s tattoos in the hope that someone might be able to identify the victim. Police were soon able to identify the victim as Brittney Gargol. She was only 18 at the time of her murder.
What happened during the investigation and trial?
Police looked through Gargol’s social media posts to piece together what happened to her. One of the most recent posts came from Antoine on Facebook. The post said: “Where are you? Haven’t heard from you. Hope you made it home safe.”
Police questioned Antoine and she told them they had been going around bars in Saskatoon. At around 4:00 a.m., Antoine said they both attended a house party and Gargol started talking to an unknown man in his 30’s. Antoine said she parted ways with Gargol and she was dropped off at an assisted living facility, where her uncle lived. She even got her uncle on the phone with the police, and he backed up her story saying he saw his niece sometime after 4:00 a.m.
Days after Gargol’s murder, a post-mortem revealed Gargol was strangled to death and that the killer had used a black belt that was found at the crime scene. The belt had 2 DNA profiles on it, one of which matched Gargol while the other one was unknown. Security footage from Antoine’s uncle’s assisted living facility showed she never visited him, which raised suspicions about Gargol’s best friend.
On the 3rd of May 2015, police re-interviewed Antoine. She didn’t tell them anything and there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest her for murder. However, it was a selfie of the pair on that night which helped to bring Antoine to justice because it shows her wearing the belt she used to kill Gargol in the brutal attack. A new lab testing confirmed the unknown DNA belonged to Antoine, and she was arrested on charges of second-degree murder.
After she was arrested, Antoine finally admitted to what happened: Turns out, she and Gargol went to a house party and used drugs and alcohol. She confirmed they were both heavily under the influence and her last memory was from about 4:30 a.m. after a visit to McDonalds. She said they argued, but she couldn’t remember why and claims to have blacked out and couldn’t remember killing Gargol.
Prosecutors couldn’t prove criminal intent, but “reduced intent” was proven and the charges of second-degree murder were subsequently reduced to manslaughter. Antoine pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charges and was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
Where is Cheyenne Antoine now?
Cheyenne Antoine is serving her sentence in a Canadian prison, and she will be eligible for parole in 2024.
Oxygen’s Final Moments featured an episode about the case titled “The Missing Clue.” It aired in November 2023.
What do you think of Cheyenne Antoine’s case? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.