A Saskatoon judge will decide who pulled the trigger in the death of Nykera Brown

WATCH: A Saskatoon judge will now determine if Nykera Brown took her own life or if she died at the hands of her boyfriend, Andrew Rosenfeldt.

A Court of King’s Bench justice will now decide whether a Saskatoon woman died by suicide or at the hands of her boyfriend.

Andrew Rosenfeldt, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Nykera Brown.

Brown was found shot in the head on Nov. 15, 2022, inside the Avenue P South apartment the couple shared.

As closing arguments wrapped up Monday, Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Addabor described the relationship as tumultuous and pointed to a photo of Brown’s suitcase, saying she was packed and ready to leave.

Addabor said Rosenfeldt overheard a phone call between Brown and her brother about plans for her to stay with him, then reported her death to 911 a minute later.

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Defence lawyer Chris Murphy argued Brown died by suicide.

Murphy pointed to Brown’s history of suicidal ideation, citing testimony from a forensic pathologist who said her gunshot wound under her chin was consistent with a “classic” self-inflicted injury. He also noted there were no defensive injuries and argued Brown would have had to remain still for the bullet to travel the way it did.

Addabor disputed that, saying Brown didn’t fight Rosenfeldt because she didn’t believe he would kill her. She said Rosenfeldt hid the gun, preventing investigators from determining the weapon’s position, leaving Brown’s state of mind as the key factor.

While Brown struggled with mental health, Addabor said there’s no evidence she was suicidal that night.

She said Rosenfeldt’s behaviour after Brown’s death strengthened the Crown’s case, noting he hid the gun and falsely told police that two masked men fled the apartment.

A date for Justice Heather McMillan-Brown to deliver the verdict has not been set.