Haley Dunar Blanchett was born in Taber, Alberta, Canada on December 31st, 2012 to parents Terry Blanchett and Cheyenne Dunar. She had light brown hair and warm brown eyes that always seemed full of joy. Terry and Cheyenne’s relationship was far from perfect, but they worked to find compromise as they both shared a goal of giving their daughter the best life possible.
Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. By 2015, Cheyenne had separated from Terry for good and was moving to Edmonton. For Haley, though, it still worked. Both parents shared custody on a two-week alternating basis, but during the transition period of Cheyenne’s move, Haley spent far more time with her father.
Despite their differences, both Terry and Cheyenne described each other as great parents. They adored their little girl, and there wasn’t a line in the world they wouldn’t cross for her. According to Cheyenne, Haley was smart, beautiful, and the greatest child ever. She never cried. She was perfect. absolutely perfect to her father.
Haley was more than just a daughter. She was his reason to grow. She transformed him into a devoted father and role model. But it all came crashing down on Monday, September 14th, 2015, when William Blanchett walked into his worst nightmare. He discovered his son’s bloodied, lifeless body inside a house in the Crows Nest Pass region of Southwest Alberta.
As for little Haley, she was nowhere to be found. William often babysat his granddaughter while Terry was at work, and he had done so the day before. At the time, Haley was spending 5 months in her father’s custody while her mother was preparing to move. Following morning, William was in town and decided to drop by Terry’s for a simple visit.
Spotting his son’s car in the driveway, he assumed the father and daughter were home, but when he rang the doorbell, there was only silence. Actually, William just shrugged it off and went to get some gas. While there, he tried texting and calling Terry, but there was still no response. That’s when a sense of worry started to creep in.
William decided to head back to Terry’s house to check on him. He arrived. He noticed the front door was unlocked. This wasn’t unusual. Terry often left it that way, whether he was at home or even out at the park with Haley. But there was something unusual about this. William noticed that the door to Haley’s room was open and Terry’s comforter was lying halfway in the hallway between his bedroom and the bathroom.
Even more disturbing, there was blood all over the floor. Alarmed with a dozen possibilities flashing through his mind, William switched on the bathroom light only to be met with a sight no father should ever have to face. Terry was lying lifeless on the floor, surrounded by his own blood. His body was mostly wrapped in a blanket resting on his back between the toilet and the vanity.
Additionally, there appeared to be a big cut on his neck. William rushed to his son’s side and lifted him, but Harry’s body was already cold to the touch and immediately went looking for Haley, but she was still nowhere to be found. At around 11:12 a.m., William called emergency services and reported what he had found.
They were also alerted that his young granddaughter, Haley, was missing. Officers from the RCMP Major Crimes Unit in Calgary quickly took over the case and rushed to the scene. What they found inside was nothing short of gruesome. There were blood smears throughout the home, beginning in Terry’s own bedroom. The trail showed that Terry had been attacked while he was in his bed and then dragged through the house up to the bathroom.
Investigators also found blood stains on Haley’s crib and on her doll. This chilling detail revealed that the killer approached and kidnapped Haley with bloodied hands moments after leaving Terry to die in a pool of his own blood. Terry’s autopsy showed an even more harrowing picture of the violence he suffered.
According to the medical examiner, Dr. Tara Jones, his body showed 30 separate blunt force injuries along with 12 wounds from a sharp object. The skull had been fractured in multiple places, causing bruising to the brain and disturbingly fragments of an unidentifiable black material were found lodged deep within the bone at several places.
Among the most devastating wounds was what Dr. Jones described as a deep gaping cut across Terry’s throat measuring roughly 25 1/2 x 5 1/2 cm. The slash severed both jugular veins, both corateed arteries, the upper sections of the thyroid cartilage, the esophagus, and even sliced into a vertebrae. The autopsy report, as described by Dr.
Jones, shows that Terry was still alive after his throat was slit. This evidence just makes this case extremely disturbing. Report strongly suggests that the killer’s true motive was much more than simply taking his life. There was an intention to cruy draw out his suffering and amplify the brutality of this act.
Meanwhile, officers began by combing through the neighborhood, hoping that Haley simply had wandered off. But their search turned up nothing. Then they reached out to Haley’s mother, searching for any clue that might explain her whereabouts. By 2:14 p.m., after hours of gathering and reviewing evidence, the police confirmed what everyone feared most, that Haley had surely been abducted.
That same morning, one of Terry’s neighbors woke up at around 3:20 a.m. to what sounded like someone kicking the sheets of metal roofing he had stacked in his driveway. Glanced outside and noticed a white commercial van parked in the driveway of an elderly neighbor. What was strange about this is the neighbor was 85 years old and did not drive.
What disturbed him more was the sound that followed. He recalled hearing the faint voice of a child whimpering, whining, screaming. Believe the cries were coming from inside or near the van. Later, he said he thought he heard a woman seemingly trying to soo the child, though he couldn’t say for certain. Or he could get a closer look.
The van suddenly sped away into the night. By now, investigators realized they were dealing with a homicide and an abduction. Time was of the essence to get Haley back safely. Around 2:14 p.m., an Amber Alert was issued for her. First went out across Alberta, but there was no sign of her in the area. The alert was expanded at about 3:15 p.m.
to British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and the US state of Montana. The same evening at 5:30 p.m., the RCMP held a news conference where they confirmed Terry Blanchett’s death was officially being investigated as a homicide. During the Amber Alert, a dry cleaning business in Crow’s Nest Pass caught something unusual.
The description of van linked to the abduction matched one of the vehicles at their shop. Larry Zerretky and his brother noticed that one of the company vans had been moved on the same day Terry Blanchett was found dead and Haley went missing. So Larry contacted the RCMP right away at around 11:15 a.m. The person of interest Larry pointed to was none other than his own son.
The next day on September 15th, 22-year-old Derek Seretsky was arrested in Blairmore. The RCMP made the arrest public during a news conference held at 1 p.m. Superintendent Tony Hamorei stated, “That person’s been arrested in association with both the homicide and disappearance of Haley.” Superintendent Hamorei also addressed the search for the van.
We have located a white van that we believe is associated with the investigation in the area. However, it’s too soon to know if it’s the exact van we’re looking for. The Amber Alert is still in effect with respect to locating this white van. We are looking forward to information from the public with regard to the investigation, whether it has to do with the homicide aspect, the van, or the disappearance of Haley.
As for Haley’s mother, Cheyenne Dunar, the RCMP wouldn’t comment on any possible involvement she may have had in Haley’s disappearance and murder. Superintendent Hamorei kept it brief, saying, “I can’t comment at this point in time. Police have been speaking with her and obviously a follow-up investigation is going to be done on all information that we receive.
At first, they didn’t release the name of the man they had in custody, nor did they formally lay any charges. Still, word spread quickly that he was being treated as the prime suspect in both of the brutal cases. Meanwhile, the Amber Alert for Haley remained active. Investigators believe she had been taken from her home around 3:30 a.m.
on Monday, September 14th, 2015. On September 15th, Derek was interviewed by Staff Sergeant Michael McCaulay. At first, Dererick repeatedly denied any involvement in the murder of Terry Blanchet or the disappearance of his 2-year-old daughter, Haley. But when Sergeant Macaulay pressed him further, he finally confessed. When did the devil start telling you to do some of these horrible things? Recently, he’s been just kind of taunting me.
taunting me to do all kinds of stupid stuff. Usually, I never do anything. I believe she’s gone. She’s in a better place now cuz God, he has his his course for whatever reason, everything. Is she alive, Derek, or is she dead? Look at me. Is she alive? She’s not alive. Okay, that’s okay. Where is she? The devil made me turn her into ashes.
Okay, that’s okay. That’s okay. That’s okay. It’s okay. Where’d you turn her to ashes, Derek? In the bush. Let’s go do that. Let’s go bring her home. Even if they’re just ashes, let’s bring her home. Okay. Did she suffer a little pain? He then described dismembering her in committing acts of cannibalism, saying, “I ate a little bit of her heart.
It made me stronger for a bit. Just a little bit. I drained her blood. I drank most of it.” He even tried to justify his actions by claiming that God told him Haley probably wouldn’t have had a very good life. The truth is she absolutely did with a father who loved her. During the interview, Dererick went on to reveal some horrifying details about how he murdered Terry.
He even said he felt sorry for Haley’s family. When asked why he did it, he stated he was a terrible father. Yet to everyone who truly knew Terry, this was far from the truth. Cheyenne, Haley’s mother, consistently spoke of how great a father he was. Haley’s grandfather, William Blanchett, testified that Terry loved to spend time with his daughter.
Terry worked as a cook at Pure Country Bar and Grill in Frank, and he never missed a day of work. His manager, Tammy Tracy, also commented, “He was a good worker and a good father. He did anything for his daughter. He loved her dearly. He was a good dad. He lived for her.” Close friend named Caret Harrington confirmed this as well and called Terry an excellent father.
According to her, he loved Haley very much and everything he did, he did for Haley. He was an incredible dad. He worked hard for her. Another family friend named Rebecca Harrington, who was close to both sides of Haley’s family, said, “Your dad loves you very much. Loves you more than anything in the world, sweetheart, and we can’t wait for you to come home.
” Rebecca even called Terry the most outstanding single dad she had ever seen, and remarked further about his dedication and love for Haley. She said, “He stepped up. He had a full-time job. He had two days off a week, and those two days were for Haley. Any extra money went to her. He always put himself last.
It is my very sad duty tonight to inform you that we have found the body of 2-year-old Haley Dunar Blanchett in a rural location near Blairmore, Alberta. The body was located during a police search based on information received by investigators and their efforts to locate Haley. The location of the discovery has been secured and investigators are now working to process the scene.
Haley’s family has been notified and weend extend our deepest condolences uh to the family for their loss of Haley and also for the loss of her father Terry. This is a sad day for the investigators, the citizens of Blairmore, and all the Canadians who hoped Haley would be found and returned unharmed. Our goal now is to complete the investigation into Haley’s death and the death of her father, Terry.
We are no longer asking for the public’s assistance in locating the white van that was subject of the Amber Alert earlier, seen near the Blanchet home in the earlier uh morning hours of Monday. The Amber Alert issued yesterday in relation to Haley’s disappearance is no longer in effect. The male suspect who was arrested in Blairmore earlier today remains in police custody for questioning in relation to the investigation into the homicide of Haley’s father, Terry Blanchett, and her disappearance.
Charges are pending. Police will provide the identity of the suspect after charges are laid in these matters. At this point, the RCMP cannot provide any more information about the investigation. However, I can report the media and social media engagement on this disturbing case has been very helpful to the investigation.
The next day on September 16th, Derek Sitzky was officially charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Haley and Terry. By then, the RCMP confirmed that they believed Dererick had planned the killings. His first court appearance was scheduled for September 23rd. Derek, the same man who murdered Terry and Haley, was revealed to be an acquaintance.
RCMP, however, did not comment on the possible nature of their connection. And that wasn’t all. Dererick had also once been close friends with Cheyenne, Haley’s mother. Naturally, investigators initially suspected Cheyenne might have had some involvement one way or another, but later revelations confirmed that Cheyenne had absolutely no part in the murder.
Regarding her connection to Derek, Cheyenne explained that they had been good friends years ago. Cheyenne said, “It tears me apart knowing friends would do something like that.” She further added that she hadn’t been in contact with Dererick in three years. Moreover, Cheyenne was unaware of any kind of connection between Dererick and Terry as she said, “I didn’t even know they knew each other.
” Cheyenne later testified that she first became friends with Derek when Haley was around 3 months old. Over the next 5 months, they would see each other a few times a week. When asked whether Haley was present during those visits, Cheyenne admitted a couple of times yes. Now, on the other hand, Derek claimed that he had dated Cheyenne after Haley was born, but said that he ended the relationship.
When asked if he felt like Haley’s stepfather, he shrugged and replied, “Kind of, I guess.” On September 23rd, Dererick was rushed from the Lethbridge Correctional Center to the hospital after a failed attempt to remove himself from this earth. Or state he was alone in the shower when he did so.
Guards discovered him and he was immediately transported to the Shinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge for treatment. October 28th, the court ordered Derek to undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment to determine whether or not he was fit to stand trial. November 25th, Lethbridge court officially ruled that Dererick was indeed mentally fit.
However, during the investigations, Dererick repeatedly tried to shift the blame onto paranormal forces, claiming things like the devil was controlling him or that God told him to do it. Also pointed to the antisycchotic medication Croakquil, which he had stopped taking as part of his justification. even expressed regret in a later interview and said he wished that he hadn’t done it.
But that’s not all. There was a third murder linked to Derek Serretky. This victim was 69year-old Hannah Mechac. She’s found dead in her home on the morning of Wednesday, September 9th, 2015. On September 15th, Corporal Brian Fitzpatrick indicated that Dererick had become a person of interest in Hannah’s murder. The Crown asked why.
He replied, “It was simple. The blunt force trauma to Terry Blanchett and the stab wounds. The poor elderly woman had suffered five blunt force injuries to the head, two stab wounds to the neck, and a superficial neck cut. Derrick became an official suspect on September 24th, and another officer sent Corporal Fitzpatrick a photo of a list from his apartment.
The list had the words medicine fresh at the top, followed by several crossed out lines. Hannah, sleepers for the dogs, shy, Terry, and the hideous baby. When questioned about tests ordered from Hannah’s autopsy, including an essay kit, which returned negative results, Corporal Fitzpatrick explained, “It didn’t make any sense to me why this woman was killed.
I thought it could have been motivated.” He was also questioned about fingernail clippings collected from Hannah. After speaking with people who knew her, police learned that she had a fiery personality. He added, “Hannah wasn’t going to go down quietly. She fought back, and I think she really came out swinging.
” On March 2nd, 2016, Dererick explicitly admitted to killing Hannah. Officially, he was charged with her murder on April 20th. During an interview with Sergeant Macaulay, Dererick described breaking into the woman’s home, striking her on the head with a baseball bat, and stabbing her. Sergeant asked, “Was it practice for the next one a little bit?” Dererick replied, “Yeah, I guess so.
” Sergeant Macaulay continued, “And so, did you plan to do the other two all along, but you wanted to get the courage for them by doing this?” Derrick admitted, “I guess so.” On June 19th, 2017, Dererick’s aunt provided testimony that proved to be significant in the trial. Carmelia Sitzky recalled being surprised to see her nephew at church on September 8th, 2015, as it was the first time that she had seen him there in years.
She described the encounter. He was sitting near the candles slouched down. He had a big smile, very happy to see me, but it quickly turned to sorrow and sadness. He looked lonely. He was shaking. She recalled that she invited Dererick to supper at her home, but she observed that he just wasn’t himself.
She noted that he would occasionally blurt out incriminating things that they couldn’t make sense of. She said that she encouraged her nephew to go to the police and turn himself in, asking if what he had done was so serious that he could go to jail. Derek reportedly replied, “Not unless they figure out it’s me.
” For context, this was in reference to the murder of three people. The following day, Carmelia saw Derek again at church. She took him out for coffee and then drove him to a rural property her family owns with her two sisters, roughly 7 kilometers from Blairmore. Family refers to this property as the ranch. Carmelia recalled that Dererick wandered around the property and showed particular interest in the wood pile near the fire pit.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Carmelia’s son contacted police on September 15th after discovering that the fire pit was still smoldering. It was at this location that Haley Blanchett’s remains were found. The cause of death could not be determined due to the severe burning of her remains.
On June 28th, 2017, a jury found Derek guilty on all counts. Three counts of firstdegree murder and one count of committing an indignity to human remains. The jury reached its verdict after just over three hours of deliberation. On August 9th, Justice William Tieleman sentenced Derek to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 75 years.
On November 24th, 2020, Derek appealed his conviction, but the Alberta Court of Appeals unanimously rejected his application and upheld the original verdict. The community of Coleman, Blairmore, and the wider Crows Nest Pass region came together to mourn the loss of Haley Dumbar Blanchett, Terry Blanchett, and Hannah Mech.
September 16th, 2015, a candlelight vigil was held in Fernie at Rotary Park where residents gathered to honor Terry and Haley. Additionally, a public vigil was held in Blairmore where RCMP victim services confirmed the discovery of Haley’s remains. The father and daughter were laid to rest on October 9th, 2015.
The private service planned for the morning and a public service later in the day in Coleman, allowing both family and the wider community to pay their respects. Hannah Mechitech, a 69-year-old woman from Coleman who lived alone, was remembered for her kindness and love for animals and children. GoFundMe campaign was organized to assist with her funeral expenses, raising 4510 Canadian dollars.
Funeral arrangements for Hannah were handled by the Fanton Funeral Chapel, same chapel that served Terry and Haley. The loss of these three lives devastated the community. Yet residents choose to honor the memory of Haley, Terry, and Hannah, not by the horrors of Dererick’s crimes, but by celebrating the joy, love, and impact that they brought into the world.
