SASKATOON — The final image of Nykera Brown, shown on a courtroom screen, was of the 20-year-old lying dead in a pool of blood on the floor of a small basement apartment. It was the end of a life marked by gang involvement, mental health struggles, and a desperate desire for change, court heard.
Who pulled the trigger on the night of Nov. 15, 2022, is the question at the centre of the Saskatoon Court of King’s Bench non-jury trial that wrapped up with closing arguments Monday. Andrew Rosenfeldt, 24, Brown’s boyfriend at the time, is charged with second-degree murder.
The defence and Crown presented two contrasting theories of what happened inside the apartment at 101 – 124 Avenue P North.
Rosenfeldt's actions show guilt: Crown
Prosecutor Elizabeth Addabor painted a picture of Rosenfeldt as a controlling, jealous man who killed Brown in a rage when he realized she was finally leaving him. She pointed to a packed suitcase and a phone call Brown made to her brother just minutes before she was shot, crying and saying she was “better than this” and couldn’t handle living in a “roach infested” apartment.
“She was desperate to get out,” Addabor told the court, arguing that Rosenfeldt, overhearing her plans, reacted violently.
“Within minutes of making a plan to leave, she is dead.”
Court heard the couple’s relationship was chaotic. Testimony from Rosenfeldt’s aunt Robbin Vermette, revealed a fight over Snapchat that erupted in the living room that night. Vermette testified she had “had it” with the constant arguments and told Rosenfeldt she wanted Brown out of her house.
The Crown argued Rosenfeldt’s actions after the shooting revealed his guilt. He initially told a 911 operator “someone shot my girlfriend,” then later fabricated a story about two masked men from the Indian Posse kicking down the door. The apartment door, however, was found bolted from the inside.
Rosenfeldt also hid the murder weapon, a rifle wrapped in black tape, and its components under a bed.
“He made up a story to deflect,” said Addabor, adding that Rosenfeldt himself told police he had been “lying his whole life.”
Rosenfeldt 'stupid,' not a killer: Defence
Defence, however, argued the evidence points squarely to suicide. Defence lawyer Chris Murphy urged the court to look past Rosenfeldt’s “stupid” and panicked post-offence conduct and focus on Brown’s extreme mental distress.
“He is guilty of being ‘stupid,’ not of murder.”
Murphy detailed Brown’s history of suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and at least 10 previous suicide attempts. He cited the testimony of a forensic pathologist who said the gunshot wound under Brown’s chin was a “classic” presentation of a self-inflicted injury, with no signs of a struggle.
“Brown was an extremely troubled young woman,” said Murphy.
He pointed to journal entries that said, “I hate me so much…I'm mean,” and “I hate my life.” Just a week before her death, she had told Robbin Vermette she wanted to kill herself.
Two months before Brown's death, on Sept. 8, 2022, Saskatoon Police Service Const. David Clarke responded to a call about a possible suicide, court heard. Brown had phoned 911 and hung up. Clarke arrived at Rosenfeldt’s home and found Brown sitting on the steps outside. She told him she was struggling with mental health issues and had suicidal thoughts. Clarke offered to take her to Royal University Hospital (RUH), and he testified, “she immediately took me up on it.”
Later that night, another officer, Const. Cameron Graves responded to a second call – this time about a woman standing on the railing of University Bridge. Graves testified that Brown threatened to jump if he approached. Two officers distracted her while he got closer and pulled her off the ledge.
Brown’s mother, Cathy Balon said she believes her daughter’s previous suicide attempts were desperate cries for help to escape a violent relationship.
Murphy argued the timeline was critical. Rosenfeldt’s 911 call came seconds after Brown got off the phone with her brother.
“The 911 call came within seconds of speaking with her brother,” said Murphy. “What happened in those seconds?” Murphy argued that her brother told her she couldn't stay with him and his girlfriend. Crown, however, said Brown was just going to stay there until she got into rehab.
Court also heard that Brown was a high up member of the Terror Squad street gang, and the night she died, she and two other gang members had been planning a “lick,” which is a mission to harm another member. Murphy argued Brown, who was handling the gun and had two live cartridges in her pocket, was deeply involved in the gang, while Rosenfeldt had urged her not to go.
Judge reserves verdict
The packed courtroom for closing arguments, filled with Brown’s supporters wearing “Justice for Nykera” shirts, contrasted with only two people who appeared for Rosenfeldt, his mother and his aunt.
Justice Heather MacMillan-Brown reserved her decision for a later date to be set.
ljoy@sasktoday.ca
