Wendy Bird's family (from left to right): Father Lance Chamakese, mother Brenda Freeman, Bird's son Blake Masuskapoe, sister Kaylynne Freeman, Laney Chamakese, brother Gary Bird and brother Landon Chamakese. They are pictured outside the Court of King's Bench in Battleford following the sentencing on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

KAPONYAS SENTENCING

Last sentence made in Wendy Bird death case

Aug 21, 2025 | 2:47 PM

Outside the Court of King’s Bench in Battleford on Thursday, the mother of Wendy Bird said she was frustrated after the final offender in her daughter’s death, Melissa Kaponyas, was sentenced.

“[The] sentencing [was] not the greatest. I kind of expected that it would be a harsher sentence, but I guess, according to what it was, she got five years,” said Brenda Freeman.

Bird, who was 24 and from Prince Albert, was found dead in 2022 along HWY 16 near the village of Maymont on Oct. 16.

Freeman said her daughter left behind two children, whom she is now raising.

“It’s just been devastating to us,” she said.

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Freeman added that the crime could have been prevented if Kaponyas had not taken part in the plan.

“If she didn’t play that part or that role, if she would have said ‘No’ it never would have happened in the first place…and my daughter would still be alive.”

The shirt Wendy Bird’s mother wore to attend the court sentencing of Melissa Kaponyas. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW

Crown prosecutor Cory Bliss said Justice Krista Zerr sentenced Kaponyas to three years for conspiracy to commit robbery and two years for being an accessory after the fact to murder. She was the last of four people to be sentenced in the case, bringing it to a close.

Dustin Cookman-Watts was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 17 years. Cassidy Kiskotagan earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and accessory after the fact to murder, receiving a sentence of more than six years.

The fourth person, Lane Wuttunee from North Battleford, was ruled not guilty for accessory after the fact and interfering with human remains.

Dustin Cookman-Watts on the day of his sentencing, July 11, at Court of King’s Bench in Battleford . (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Freeman said while the family is devastated, they will now try to move forward.

“My daughter’s gone. There’s really nothing that we can do. I guess we just have to move on from there.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com