Selfie held vital clue in murder case
Weapon used in killing was hidden in a Facebook photo of two friends whose row turned deadly

At first glance, the photo of Cheyenne Rose Antoine and Brittney Gargol appears to be a selfie no different from the millions uploaded to social media every day.
The two young women, described by the Toronto Sun as “inseparable” friends, smile as they stand side-by-side for the close-up shot. Hours later, Gargol was dead by Antoine’s hand.
On 24 March 2015, Antoine, then 19, and 18-year-old Gargol went to a house party in Saskatoon, western Canada.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Early the next morning, a passerby discovered Gargol’s body on a roadside on the outskirts of town. She had been strangled with a belt, which had been discarded at the scene of the crime.
In the hours following Gargol’s murder, Antoine played the part of the concerned friend on social media. “Where are you? Haven't heard from you. Hope you made it home safe,” she wrote in a message posted to Gargol’s Facebook page, the BBC reports.
However, detectives trawling the pair’s social media posts spotted the selfie taken hours before the murder, which showed Antoine wearing an identical belt to the one used to strangle her friend.
When questioned by police, Antoine initially told officers that she and Gargol had gone their separate ways after visiting a bar, when Gargol went home with an unknown man.
However, police later received a tip-off from a friend of Antoine’s who said she had confessed to hitting and strangling Gargol as the pair rowed after leaving the party, CBC reports.
Antoine, now 21, was initially charged with second-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter in a Saskatoon courtroom on 15 January 2018.
Her defence team told the court that Antoine and Gargol were drunk and high on marijuana when the argument broke out and that Antoine cannot remember killing her friend, although she accepts that she was responsible. She was sentenced to seven years in prison.
"I will never forgive myself,” Antoine said in a statement. “Nothing I say or do will ever bring her back. I am very, very sorry...It shouldn't have ever happened.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Critics push back as the government goes after Job Corps
The Explainer For at-risk teens, the program has been a lifeline
-
5 horror movies to sweat out this summer
The Week Recommends A sequel, a reboot and a follow up from the director of 'Barbarian' highlight the upcoming scary movie slate
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical