UPDATE: Teenage girl charged with 2nd-degree murder in Saskatoon’s 6th homicide of 2020
A suspicious death this past weekend has turned into Saskatoon’s sixth homicide investigation of 2020.
Officers with the Saskatoon Police Service were called to a report of a deceased woman in a vehicle at an apartment complex in the 3700 block of Diefenbaker Drive on the afternoon of July 11.
Hailey Belanger-Weeseekase, 19, was confirmed dead at the scene, according to a press release.
Her friends have taken to social media posting tributes after learning of her death.
“She could be going through so much stuff in her life and she would still put somebody else first. She would still put her friends first, before herself. She never asked for help for anything,” Shanel Bekkattla told Global News.
Bekkattla said she met Hailey in Grade 9 and they have been friends since that time.
She added that the 19-year-old struggled with an addiction over the last five years.
Based on the results of an autopsy and further investigation by the major crime section, police said on Tuesday that the death is now considered a homicide.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Saskatoon police at 306-975-8300 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
A vigil is being organized for Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the area where her body was found.
-With files from Kyle Benning