Killer who left body on roadside granted leave for course

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The woman who helped kill a young Inuit student from Labrador a decade ago in Halifax and dumped her body in a hockey bag beside the highway has been granted 30 days of unescorted leave to take “personal development” courses at a halfway house.

Victoria Lea Henneberry is serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of Loretta Saunders in February 2014.

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“The board remains seriously concerned about your low level of insight and limited responsibility for the index offence,” said her most recent parole decision.

“Although you have completed required and voluntary interventions to mitigate your risk, you remain assessed at a low-moderate risk level, and it is essential that you complete further treatment and programming to mitigate your risk of re-offending. Notwithstanding the board’s concerns, the board concludes that your risk is manageable in the context of the (unescorted temporary absence) with the proposed plan and focus on further rehabilitation.”

Henneberry, now 39, and her boyfriend, Blake Leggette, were subletting a room in Saunders’ Cowie Hill Road apartment when the couple killed the Saint Mary’s University student, who was pregnant, after she came to collect their rent.

Saunders was 26 when she died. Leggette attacked her from behind when she entered the apartment.

“Your boyfriend choked the victim, tried to suffocate her with several plastic bags, and hit her head off the floor twice,” said Henneberry’s parole decision, dated Sept. 25.

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“The victim fought back until he hit her head on the floor, and she stopped moving. He put the victim’s body into a hockey bag, and then cleaned up around the apartment.”

Henneberry left the apartment with Leggette to return her computer for cash. Then they came back.

“Your boyfriend carried the victim, in the hockey bag, to her car and placed her in the trunk. You both packed some items and left the apartment. You used the victim’s bank card to buy food and supplies. When you drove into New Brunswick, you and your boyfriend dumped the victim’s body, still in the hockey bag, on the side of the highway.”

They kept driving to Ontario, where Henneberry stayed with a friend.

Police noticed Saunders’ phone was used in Nova Scotia on Feb. 13, 2014, then again four days later in Windsor, Ont.

“Police spoke with you on the phone the next day, and you gave false names and birth dates for you and your boyfriend, indicating you were in Prince Edward Island,” said Henneberry’s parole decision. “You were both arrested later this day in the victim’s stolen car.”

Police took Henneberry and Leggette back to Nova Scotia on Feb. 24, 2014.

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“The following day, you confessed that you and your boyfriend murdered the victim on February 13,” said Henneberry’s parole decision. “File information notes there is video evidence that you and your boyfriend talked about killing the victim on February 8, five days before the murder happened.”

The judge set Hennebery’s parole eligibility at 10 years.

The parole board considered statements the Saunders’ family made as recently as this past August.

“The victim’s family have suffered lifelong loss, noting that three lives have been taken; the victim, her unborn child, and a sister through suicide,” said Henneberry’s parole decision.

“Your criminal offending has had a lasting impact on the victim’s family and community. The family continues to experience significant trauma.”

Henneberry appears to “have developed a good relationship with the program facilitators” at the halfway house where she must stay nightly during her 30-day leave, said the parole board.

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“Given your issues of trust, it is hoped that you can benefit from your active participation in the proposed community-based programs.”

The parole board noted Henneberry has already completed seven escorted temporary absences to the same halfway house. “It is evident that you have developed a positive rapport with the program facilitator and staff at the (community based residential facility) and your motivation to attend further programming (there) is viewed as risk mitigating. The board concludes that your risk is manageable in the context of the (unescorted temporary absence), which is a limited form of release for a specific purpose and with a structured plan in place.”

Henneberry is a minimum-security prisoner in Ontario. The prison and the halfway house are not identified in the parole board decision.

“Your mode of transportation (to the halfway house) is to take a GO Bus, and the bus ride is approximately three hours,” said her parole decision.

Programs are offered at the halfway house on subjects including grief and loss, stress management, employment readiness, trauma support and healthy relationships.

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While she’s there, Henneberry plans to go on three 90-minute community outings to renew personal identification, volunteer at a food bank and go to a gym, according to her parole decision. “You appear to be motivated to participate in each of these activities as part of a slow and gradual reintroduction to the community.”

Henneberry identifies as Indigenous, through her mother’s side of the family.

In February of 2020, the parole board said Henneberry could participate in a drumming session at The Healing of the Seven Generations in Waterloo, Ont.

“However, the executive director of the organization contacted (Correctional Services of Canada) and reported the victim’s family contacted them directly, and due to the severity of the crime against the victim, who was an Inuk woman, you are banned from accessing their services for the duration of your sentence.”

Henneberry currently practises the “Wiccan religion,” said the parole board.

“You self-reported being employed for half of your adult life, most recently at a mortgage firm. There is conflicting file information surrounding your employment history, in that you were not successful in maintaining any job and often struggled to make it through your first day. You continue to deny this information.”

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Saunders’ killing “was motivated by financial gain,” said the parole board.

“Although the board notes that file information indicates you have shown some improvement with respect to your insight in recent years, the board finds you continue to have very limited insight, you continue to minimize your role in the index offence, and you continue to rationalize and justify your behaviour,” said Henneberry’s most recent parole decision.

“The board gives some mitigating weight to your efforts to engage in programming and treatment to offset these deficit areas, noting that your ability to be consistent, and authentic is related to your diagnosis of a personality disorder and use of impression management and manipulation.”

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