Police in Canada arrested a woman in a murder case after discovering that their suspect made a fatal error: three years ago she posted a photo on Facebook showing her wearing the murder weapon.
In March of 2015, 18-year-old Brittney Gargol was discovered strangled to death and lying on the side of a road near a landfill in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
During their investigation, police discovered that the victim’s friend, now 21-year-old Cheyenne Rose Antoine, had posted several Facebook posts trying to get in touch with the victim. For instance, Antoine posted, “where are you,” and “I hope you got home safe.”
But police soon began to think those posts were only a ruse to throw them off Antoine’s trail. Indeed, it was Facebook that helped them crack the case. After reviewing more Facebook posts, police came across a photo of Antoine wearing an identical black belt found on the victim’s dead body.
“It’s quite remarkable how the police developed this information,” Crown prosecutor Robin Ritter told the CBC.
The photo was not the only evidence prosecutors presented to undermine Antoine’s stories about her actions on that fateful day.
Antoine also claimed that the pair had dined at the Colonial Pub and Grill, but surveillance video did not substantiate her claims that the two were ever there that day.
Eventually, after more grilling by investigators, Antoine confessed to the murder saying that she was drunk and became angry at Gargol. The now convicted killer said she hit Gargol and then strangled her with the belt.
In court, Antoine apologized for her actions. “I will never forgive myself. Nothing I say or do will ever bring her back. I am very, very sorry…It shouldn’t have ever happened,” she said adding that she had no way to explain why she did it.
In a victim impact statement, Gargol’s aunt, Jennifer Gargol, expressed her sorrow at the loss.
“Most days we can’t stop thinking about Brittney what happened that night, what she must have felt fighting for her life,” Jennifer Gargol said in the statement.
Antoine pleaded guilty to manslaughter on January 15 and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston
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