Nykera Brown wanted 'safe place to stay' on night she was killed, brother testifies

Two of the last people to speak with Nykera Brown on the night she was fatally shot testified at the trial of the man accused of killing her three years ago.

On Friday, Nykera's brother testified at the Saskatoon Court of King's Bench trial of Andrew Rosenfeldt, who is charged with second-degree murder in Nykera's death.

On Nov. 15, 2022, Nykera died of a gunshot wound to the head in the Avenue P South apartment she shared with Rosenfeldt. The two were dating at the time.

Week 2 of the judge-alone trial wrapped up Friday afternoon. The Crown plans to call more witnesses when the trial resumes on Tuesday.

Dregan Brown testified he had a three-minute phone call with his sister in the hours leading up to her death. He said Nykera called to ask if she could stay at his apartment.

Nykera seemed agitated and was “bickering” with Rosenfeldt while they talked on the phone, Dregan said. Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Addabor asked him why his sister wanted to come over.

“Her fear for her safety,” Dregan said. “Basically, a safe place to stay is what she wanted.”

During cross-examination, defence lawyer Chris Murphy asked Dregan about Nykera's mental health history and purported suicide attempts, suggesting that Nykera told her brother that night she was “going to end it all right now.”

Dregan said Nykera did not mention anything about killing herself that night. He told court he’s “1,000 per cent” sure Rosenfedlt shot his sister.

Witnesses have testified that Nykera and Rosenfeldt were both in the Terror Squad street gang.

The identities of some witnesses — including a friend of Nykera's who testified Friday morning — are protected by a publication ban.

Nykera, Rosenfeldt and two friends were drinking alcohol and smoking meth at the Saskatoon apartment earlier on the night Nykera died. At some point, Nykera and the two friends left to do a “lick” — slang for a gang mission.

“Someone owed a little bit, nothing serious,” the friend testified on Friday. “Someone took my shoes and we were going to get them back.”

But the group never completed their mission. Nykera left her friends to return to the apartment.