Loretta Saunders, a university student specializing in missing Indigenous women, was murdered by her tenants, Blake Leggette and Victoria Henneberry, in February 2014.
Early Life
Loretta Saunders was born on 25 August 1987, in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. She was the daughter of Miriam Terriak and Clayton Saunders and was Inuk by heritage. Loretta grew up in a large blended family and her upbringing was filled with love and support.
From a young age, Loretta showed ambition and compassion. She aspired to become a lawyer, hoping to help others through her work, The CTV News reports.
However, her high school years brought challenges. In ninth grade, after defending herself against a classmate who behaved inappropriately, Loretta transferred schools.
At age 15, she moved to Montreal to start over but life became difficult and she faced periods of homelessness and substance use.
Eventually, she returned to Newfoundland and with great determination completed her high school studies while working night shifts. During this time, she reconnected with her Inuit identity, finding strength in traditional practices and cultural knowledge.
Saunders’s father, Clayton Saunders: “Loretta became determined to do something. She returned to Labrador, worked to treat her addictions, finished her Grade 12, and was accepted into Saint Mary’s University in Halifax to study criminology”, per CBC.
Pursuing Her Goals
Loretta moved to Halifax to study sociology and criminology, focusing on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. She was deeply connected to her field of study and saw herself and her community reflected in the statistics. She was committed to making a difference.
Clayton Saunders: “She was gonna make a change in things, and she’s done a pretty good job in her little, short life.”
In late 2013, her sister moved away and Loretta continued her studies on her own. In December, she became pregnant and began living with her boyfriend, Yalcin Surkultay.
When her student funding was cut, Loretta decided to sublet her spare room to cover expenses. She found tenants, Blake Leggette and Victoria Henneberry, through the Kijiji website. They moved in January 2014, agreeing to pay $430 per month, the VOCM reports.
However, they failed to pay rent by February.
Yalcin Surkultay: “She found them on Kijiji, and it has been a month or something and they didn’t pay the rent”, per CBC.
Disappearance
On 13 February 2014, Loretta told her boyfriend she planned to collect the unpaid rent from her tenants. At 10:57 a.m., surveillance footage showed her entering her apartment building.
She was never seen leaving.
Edmund Saunders: “She went to get her rent Thursday and said if they didn’t have it she’ll tell them they have to leave”, per National Post.
Later that evening, Loretta’s loved ones began receiving unusual messages from her phone, expressing stress and confusion. The messages raised concern because they were out of character and seemed to suggest someone else might have been using her phone.
“She told him that she had locked herself out of online banking and that she couldn’t remember my mother’s maiden name to unlock it. You know, I really find that hard to believe”, per CTV News.
When she stopped responding to her close family members, including her father, worry deepened.
According to Halifax, by 17 February, with no contact for four days, Loretta was reported missing. Her family traveled to Halifax to assist with the search.
Investigators reviewed apartment surveillance footage and noted Loretta entered but never exited. The couple subletting her room had also abruptly left the area around Valentine’s Day.
Evidence and Discovery
Police reviewed Loretta’s bank activity and discovered that her card had been used after her disappearance, per PNI Atlantic News. CCTV footage showed that on 13 February, her car was seen at a Tim Hortons drive-thru with Blake Leggette in the driver’s seat.
A tip led police to Harrow, Ontario, more than 2,000 miles from Halifax. There, authorities tracked down Blake Leggette and Victoria Henneberry at a friend’s house.
A blue Toyota matching Loretta’s license plate was found at the property. The pair were arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and Loretta’s bank card, the DailyMail reports.
Police reviewed surveillance footage from the apartment building, which showed Blake Leggette carrying a large, heavy hockey bag after Loretta entered the building.
On a later trip, he returned with Victoria, who was helping him move more luggage.
Further evidence included a video on Blake Leggette’s phone in which the couple argued about killing Loretta. Investigators continued questioning them and eventually, Victoria confessed to Loretta Saunders’ murder.
The Murder
According to Victoria’s statement, Loretta arrived around 11 a.m. on 13 February. After a brief conversation, Blake emerged from the hallway, forced her to the floor, and suffocated her using several plastic bags.
He then placed her body in a hockey bag and put it in the trunk of her own car, the Vice reports.
Blake and Victoria then left Halifax with Loretta’s body in the back of her car. During their journey, they decided to dispose of her remains in a remote wooded area off the Trans-Canada Highway near Salisbury, New Brunswick.
Her body was later discovered by police. A post-mortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxiation.
Miriam Saunders: “My heart constantly aches. I yearn for her. From that day on, nothing has been the same. My girl is gone. She’s not gone for 10 or 25 years, she’s gone forever…I’ll never find it in my heart to forgive”, per APTN News.
Arrest and Sentencing
In April 2016, both Blake Leggette and Victoria Henneberry stood trial. Victoria pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 10 years.
Blake pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received a life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years, according to Wikipedia.
Blake Leggette: “I’m constantly thinking of the pain I caused, I’m sorry I stole Loretta. I do not expect forgiveness but I hope my pleading guilty helps. Loretta was kind to me in the short time I knew her.”
In October 2024, Victoria Henneberry was granted a 30-day unescorted release to a halfway house to participate in programs and volunteer work, despite concerns from the parole board about the violent nature of the crime.
