Twenty-year old Nykera Brown’s story of finding help and attempts to get into a detox centre was brought to light on the fifth day of Andrew Rosenfeldt’s murder trial.
Brown’s mother, Cathleen Balon, took the stand for the first time Wednesday.
“I don’t want another family to feel this pain. I died that day with her. Who I was, I’m not no more,” said Balon.
Balon shared a series of texts that tell a story of what could have been. Global News caught up with her afterwards to share a little more about Brown’s struggles and who she was.
“I’m grateful that I could honestly show Nakeira’s true colours and that she was done with this gang life and the drugs. She wanted help. She was calling every day. She called for three weeks every day to Moose Jaw. She finally had a bed. She was leaving,” said Brown’s mother Cathleen Balon.
During the weeks before her death, Brown had reached out to multiple detox centres, trying to get a placement. Balon testified she was finally successful and had a confirmation to go to a facility the night she died.
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“On the day that she died, she was getting out. She was getting up. She had her boots, her jacket, her toque on. She turned away from that lick to call us to come get her. She had no interest in doing that lick. That’s why she went back into the apartment,” said Balon.
A previous testimony from one of the last people to see Brown alive confirmed seeing her leaving the apartment, then turning around to go back inside.
“She did the meth and the gang life for about a year. She said she didn’t like it. She says, ‘Mom, I don’t like hurting people. It’s not who I am. I want to help little babies in NICU.’ That was her dream. She wanted to be an NICUs nurse,” said Balon.
The court also heard from forensic specialist Dr. Lily Huang. She confirmed on the stand that samples taken from Rosenfeldt’s face and hands tested positive for gun residue.
However, she also says it doesn’t prove Rosenfeldt was the person who pulled the trigger leading to Brown’s death.
The trial is expected to continue this week.
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