A key witness in a chilling Saskatoon murder trial has provided graphic testimony, alleging she saw the accused punch a woman who was tied to a basement support post before the victim was later found dead.
Graphic Testimony in Courtroom
Stephanie Halkett-Stevenson testified in Saskatoon Court of King's Bench on Thursday, January 15, 2026, during the fourth day of Michael Smillie's judge-alone trial for first-degree murder. Halkett-Stevenson, who is already serving an 18-year sentence for manslaughter in the same case, stated she witnessed 58-year-old Michael Smillie punch Taya Rae Ann Sinclair in the face.
The assault allegedly occurred while Sinclair was confined and tied to a support post in the basement of Smillie's home at 1227 Avenue C North in Saskatoon. Halkett-Stevenson told the court that when she later returned to the residence, Sinclair was dead, and Smillie instructed her to "clean up the mess." She described Smillie as "flipping out."
A Trail of Violence and Confinement
The court heard a disturbing sequence of events leading to Sinclair's death. Halkett-Stevenson testified that she and a man named Jonathan Gardiner took Sinclair from an apartment at 219 Avenue K South, where the victim had already been confined, to Smillie's Avenue C North home.
Sinclair's body was discovered near the Alfred Jenkins Fieldhouse in Prince Albert on March 15, 2022. The 24-year-old had been reported missing to Saskatoon police just one day earlier. Halkett-Stevenson stated she and Gardiner loaded Sinclair's body into a car and drove to Prince Albert. She claimed she only realized the remains had been set on fire as they drove away.
Multiple Accusations and Gang Affiliation
Three people were originally charged in connection with Sinclair's death: Michael Smillie, Stephanie Halkett-Stevenson, and Chelsey Wilma Crowe. As Smillie's trial began on Monday, Chelsey Crowe pleaded guilty to assault and unlawful confinement.
Halkett-Stevenson, who appeared in court in shackles and grey sweatsuit, denied personally injecting Sinclair with fentanyl or breaking her neck. She revealed that at the time of the incident, she was a soldier with the Terror Squad street gang and was involved in selling drugs.
Her testimony also connected the violence to a drug debt. She stated that Crowe enlisted her help to lure Sinclair's boyfriend, Kenneth Bell, to a Third Avenue North apartment because Bell owed Crowe money for drugs. Halkett-Stevenson identified herself in a video shown in court that depicted Bell's assault. She said Bell was then taken to Crowe's apartment, where Sinclair later arrived and was attacked.
The trial continues as the court seeks to unravel the full circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Taya Sinclair.
