Jury trial begins in Arden Panipekeesick murder case as widow takes stand

Katlim Desjarlais-Kelly’s jury trial for the second-degree murder of Arden Panipekeesick began Tuesday.

First to take the stand Panipekeesick’s wife of 19 years, Eva Pritchard.

Pritchard explained what led to his fatal gunshot in the early hours of the snowy Saskatoon morning on Feb 10, 2024.

The two lived in the basement of a house on Avenue K North with friends and their two children.

She said they saw Desjarlais at the house once or twice before that night.

Pritchard says she and Panipekeesick came home to a quiet house just before 2 a.m. that night.

They came in through the back door and she went straight downstairs to their bedroom. Panipekeesick went to speak with whoever was home before joining her.

She says they were downstairs for a while before hearing a loud noise like someone kicking at a wall or door from upstairs.

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One of their friends came downstairs to tell them everything was OK. Later, they went upstairs to see for themselves.

From the kitchen, she says, they saw Desjarlais-Kelly and a few other people sitting in the living room.

She says Panipekeesick got angry and started yelling at Desjarlais-Kelly to “get out.”

Pritchard said Desjarlais-Kelly got angry, too, saying he was trying to leave, asked them to let him leave, and threw a chair.

Pritchard said that nothing was stopping him from leaving, she said. As the argument escalated, she said the fight turned into a shootout.

Pritchard said she went back to the stairwell to protect herself and heard everyone in the living room leave.

She says as she came back up, Desjarlais came back, asking for help wrapping up his bleeding arm.

As she grabbed a string and went over to help him, she says Panipekeesick stayed in the kitchen.

She testified that as the string broke, she saw there was no blood on his arm and he raised a gun in Panipekeesick’s direction.

While grabbing Desjarlias-Kelly’s arm, she said she pleaded with him, saying, “Stop! Please don’t,” but could not stop him and she heard a click.

Desjarlais left and she went to her husband.

Panipekeesick was heading toward the basement from the kitchen and she said he would not answer her.

Her friend came over and told her he was shot in the back of the neck.

She tried to stop the bleeding and held him as he took his last breath.

Panipekeesick collapsed on top of her while her friend called the police.

According to the agreed statement of facts, police were unsuccessful in their efforts to revive him.

The trial is expected to continue this week.

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