The M.u.r.d.e.r of Loretta Saunders | True C.r.i.m.e Documentary 2025

The family of a woman who is missing in Halifax is appealing for public health. Loretta Saunders was a young in woman from Labrador, Canada. Loretta Saunders is 26 and was pregnant when she disappeared last week. She was smart, full of life, and had a deep love for her family and culture. As Ross Lord reports, her sister says she is clinging to hope.

Loretta worked hard to build a better future. and her dream was to bring attention to the struggles faced by missing and murdered indigenous women across the country because she knows Saunders is strong and smart. She studied criminology at St. Mary’s University in Halifax where she focused on research that was close to her heart.

Friends and teachers described her as kind, passionate, and determined. Loretta wanted to make a difference not only for herself but for her people. She was someone who carried both strength and compassion, always offering support to those around her. To her family, she was more than just a daughter and a sister. She was hope.

To her classmates, she was inspiration. And to her community, she was a voice of truth, and change. Loretta’s life was filled with ambition, love, and resilience. She was working on a thesis that shed light on the very issue that would later take her life. At just 26 years old, Loretta represented the promise of a brighter tomorrow.

She was a woman who stood at the center of two worlds. Proud of her roots and reaching for her future. Her story began with dreams of justice and equality. But it would soon take a tragic turn that shook an entire nation. Loretta Saunders lived with big dreams and a strong spirit. She wanted to use her education to fight for justice and shine a light on the violence faced by indigenous women. At St.

Mary’s University, she worked on her thesis about missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. This subject was not only an academic project for her. It was something deeply personal. Loretta believed her work could bring change and protect others from suffering the same fate. She dreamed of becoming a lawyer and building a future where indigenous voices were heard and respected.

Outside her studies, Loretta was known for her laughter and warmth. She enjoyed time with her friends, cherished her family, and was especially close to her siblings. She loved her culture and carried it proudly wherever she went. Loretta’s life showed a balance between determination and kindness. She never forgot where she came from.

Even as she worked hard to build a better tomorrow, she was not only a student, she was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a woman full of hope. Her goals were rooted in justice, but her life was filled with simple joys, sharing stories, supporting loved ones, and dreaming of a brighter path for all. Loretta’s journey was still unfolding, and her heart was set on turning her vision into reality.

Her life promised change and her dreams carried meaning far beyond herself. The day she vanished on February 13, 2014. Loretta Saunders was last seen alive. It was an ordinary winter day in Halifax, Nova Scotia. But what followed turned into a nightmare for her family and friends. Loretta had been living in an apartment with two people she knew.

But when she went missing, her loved ones immediately felt that something was wrong. She was always in touch with her family, and the sudden silence was unusual. Calls and messages went unanswered and her parents and siblings grew desperate with worry. Days passed and still no word from Loretta. The last confirmed sighting of her was when she left her apartment, but after that her trail went cold.

Her family reported her missing and police began their search. For those who knew her, every hour without answers felt unbearable. Loretta was not someone who would simply disappear. She was responsible, caring, and deeply connected to her community. The fear grew heavier with each passing day. Where was she? What had happened? For her family, the waiting was filled with dread, but also with hope that she would walk back through the door.

For investigators, the mystery of her disappearance marked the beginning of a case that would soon reveal dark and disturbing truths. What started as a missing person’s search would soon expose a far more tragic story, one that Canada would never forget. The search begins when Loretta Saunders was reported missing, the search for her became urgent.

Police began gathering clues, speaking with her family, friends, and anyone who might have seen her. Flyers with her picture spread quickly, and news outlets covered the story, asking the public for help. Loretta’s family, filled with fear, but holding on to hope, made emotional pleas for her safe return. They knew something was terribly wrong because Loretta was always in touch, especially with her sister and parents.

Community members and volunteers also joined, sharing her story across social media and keeping her face in the public eye. Every lead mattered. Investigators focused on her apartment and the people she lived with, searching for signs of what might have happened. Meanwhile, her car was reported missing, raising more questions for the family.

Those days were filled with endless waiting, praying for a phone call that would bring good news. But as the hours turned into days and the days turned into weeks, the fear of losing her only grew stronger. The search was not just about finding a missing student, it became a symbol of the larger crisis facing indigenous women across Canada.

Loretta’s disappearance showed how quickly a vibrant life could vanish and how every second counted in the desperate fight to bring her home. 2 weeks after Loretta went missing, the search came to a heartbreaking end. On February 26th, 2014, police found her body on a snowy highway in New Brunswick. The discovery crushed her family, who had been holding on to the last bit of hope that she might still be alive.

The news spread quickly, and across Canada, people were shocked and deeply saddened. Loretta was only 26 years old, full of dreams and a bright future, but her life had been taken in a brutal way. For her family, the pain was beyond words. They had prayed for her safe return, but instead they were forced to face a reality no family should ever endure.

The community grieved with them and vigils were held to honor her memory. Her story drew national attention, not only because of the tragedy itself, but also because of who Loretta was, a young in woman writing her thesis on missing and murdered indigenous women. The cruel irony struck hard. She became the very subject she was fighting to protect.

The discovery of her body was more than just an end to the search. It was a wakeup call to the nation, a reminder of the dangers indigenous women faced every day. Loretta’s death was not just a personal loss, but a tragedy that carried heavy meaning for all of Canada. After Loretta’s body was found, the investigation moved quickly.

Police turned their attention to her apartment, where she had been living with two tenants, Blake Leget and Victoria Henbury. At first, they claimed to know little about her disappearance, but soon their stories began to fall apart. Investigators discovered that Loretta had been planning to collect overdue rent from them just before she vanished.

This detail became the key that pointed suspicion directly at them. When police tracked Loretta’s stolen car, they found the pair driving it across provinces trying to escape. Their arrest brought relief that answers might finally come, but it also revealed the chilling truth. Evidence showed that Loretta had been attacked inside her own apartment, a place she should have felt safe.

The betrayal cut deep, not only for her family, but for everyone following the case. She had trusted them, and that trust was broken in the most violent way. The arrests of Leget and Henbury shocked the public, who were horrified at how a young woman’s kindness and generosity had been repaid with cruelty. For the investigators, it was a turning point.

Now, there were names, faces, and charges. But for Loretta’s family, the pain only grew stronger as they learned the details of how their daughter’s life was stolen. When the case went to court, the painful details of Loretta Saunders murder came to light. Blake Legat admitted to killing her after she confronted him about unpaid rent, while Victoria Henbury helped cover up the crime.

In 2015, both were sentenced after pleading guilty. Leot to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years and Henry to life with the possibility of parole after 10 years. For Loretta’s family, hearing the truth in court was heartbreaking. They listened to how their daughter and sister’s life was taken in such a cruel and senseless way.

The courtroom became a place of both grief and strength. Her loved ones spoke about the woman she was, her dreams, her kindness, her courage, reminding the world that she was more than just a victim. The trial also sparked wider conversations across Canada about the dangers faced by indigenous women. Loretta’s own thesis work became a symbol of the fight for justice, making her story impossible to ignore.

Though the guilty verdicts brought a sense of accountability, no sentence could ever replace the vibrant life that was lost. The truth in court revealed the brutality of the crime, but it also showed the enduring love of a family who refused to let Loretta’s memory fade. The sentencing of Blake Legett and Victoria Henbury brought a measure of justice, but it could never heal the wound left behind.

For Loretta’s family, justice meant more than prison terms. It meant keeping her memory alive and fighting for the cause she believed in. They stood strong in court, speaking about her life and the bright future that was stolen. Their courage turned personal tragedy into a call for change.

Across Canada, people joined them in demanding better protection for indigenous women and greater awareness of the violence they face. Vigils and memorials were held with candles lit in Loretta’s honor. Her story became part of a national movement, giving strength to other families who had lost loved ones in similar ways.

The justice system had done its part by convicting her killers, but the deeper fight for equality and safety continued. For many, Loretta’s case was not only about punishing those responsible, but about shining a light on a larger issue. Justice for Loretta became justice for all indigenous women whose voices had been silenced.

Her family’s bravery in the face of grief reminded the nation that real justice is found in change, in protecting others, and in refusing to let Loretta’s story be forgotten. Her legacy lives on. Though Loretta Saunders life was cut short, her legacy continues to inspire. The work she began shining light on missing and murdered indigenous women grew stronger after her passing.

Her thesis, unfinished in life, became a symbol of the change she had always wanted to see. Universities, communities, and advocacy groups honored her name, using her story to raise awareness and push for reforms for her family. Keeping her memory alive meant telling the world who Loretta truly was. A proud Enoch woman, a loving daughter and sister, and a voice for justice.

Vigils, scholarships, and campaigns were created in her honor, ensuring her fight did not end with her death. Loretta’s story also gave strength to other families of indigenous women, reminding them they were not alone in their grief. Across Canada, her name is remembered in conversations about equality and protection for indigenous lives.

Her legacy is not only the tragedy of her loss, but the movement she helped spark. Loretta Saunders continues to live on in the love of her family, in the voices demanding justice, and in the hope that future generations will be safer because of her. Her life became a light that refuses to fade, guiding others toward truth and