Fallout from murders has been difficult: chief
A 44-year-old Watson Lake man is facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.
By Gord Fortin on May 29, 2018
A 44-year-old Watson Lake man is facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.
Yukon RCMP Chief Supt. Scott Sheppard issued an official statement Monday afternoon.
It said the charges have been laid against Everett Chief for the 2017 murders of Sarah MacIntosh and Wendy Carlick.
RCMP spokesperson Coralee Reid said Chief was arrested in Whitehorse Monday morning without incident.
The announcement comes after more than a year of investigation into the deaths.
The first-degree murder charge is in relation to Carlick’s death, while MacIntosh’s death is the second-degree murder charge.
Carlick, 51, and MacIntosh, 53, were found dead at MacIntosh’s home in the McIntyre subdivision on April 19, 2017.
Carlick was part of British Columbia’s Kaska Nation and MacIntosh was a member of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.
Chief originally faced two counts of second-degree murder. One was upgraded following further investigation, the RCMP said today.
Sheppard called the investigation difficult.
It involved all technical and investigative RCMP resources in the territory as well as from Outside.
“The success in bringing this investigation to this stage is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our Major Crimes Unit,” Sheppard said in the release.
He thanked Carlick’s and MacIntosh’s families for their patience and support during the investigation. He also commended Kwanlin Dün Chief Doris Bill.
“These investigations are exceptionally complex and they take significant resources and time,” Sheppard said.
“I would like to thank the families and community leaders for their patience and understanding.
“While this investigation has now entered a new phase, it is far from over – and I am ever-mindful of the continued grief the family and friends of Wendy and Sarah continue to feel. These losses have affected the entire community,” Sheppard added.
“While this development does not provide loved ones with all of the answers, I do hope it will allow family and friends to have a better understanding of what happened to Wendy and Sarah,” Sheppard said.
Chief appeared in court this morning before Judge Michael Cozens. A no contact order, covering 24 witnesses, was imposed on Chief.
He remains in custody. The matter will be in court again at 9:30 a.m. June 15.
Bill held a press conference this morning at the Kwanlin Dün council chamber regarding the arrest.
Coun. Howard MacIntosh, the brother of Sarah MacIntosh, sat with Bill but did not speak.
Bill said the two deaths have left the community devastated and feeling helpless because of the many unanswered questions.
The news of the arrest was bittersweet. Bill explained that she is relieved to see progress, but both Carlick and MacIntosh are still gone.
Bill said the court proceedings will take some time, so people will need to be patient. A lot of work goes into bringing cases to court, she said, and the process should be respected.
“We must respect the integrity of the process,” Bill said.
She added she hopes that both Carlick’s and MacIntosh’s families can maintain faith that the truth will be uncovered.
She said her heart and the community are with them, and hopes they take care of each other.
“Don’t give up hope,” Bill said.
She added she has a deep appreciation for both the RCMP and the Major Crimes Unit for the hard work they have put in. She said it has been hard, considering there have been several other unsolved murders in the Yukon.
She mentioned specifically the unsolved murders of Allan Waugh, Greg Dawson and Angel Carlick, Wendy Carlick’s daughter, who was found dead at the age of 19.
Bill asked that anyone with any information to come forward. She mentioned Kwanlin Dün has an anonymous tip line as well as a justice department that can help. The tip line is 867-456-8477.
Bill took some questions from media afterward. She was not able to share any specific information related to the case.
She was not able to speak on Chief’s time in the community, saying that any information she has is not first-hand information. She would rather wait for the information to be released in court or by the police, she said.
She did say Kwanlin Dün will continue to support families and the RCMP.
Kwanlin Dün will ensure the RCMP have the information needed to solve the cold cases, she said.
They will also make sure support programs are in place to build a safe community.
“We will move forward,” she said. “We will be proactive.”
Bill feels that if there is going to be a change made in First Nations communities, all levels of government, police and the community need to be involved in making the change.
Bill said the Community Safety Officer program has brought a lot of positive changes to the community. This has freed up the RCMP to pursue leads.
Bill has met with federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale.
They discussed the Community Safety Program, and he agreed that it can take pressure off the RCMP.
Comments (12)
Up 0 Down 0
Joanne Husak on Dec 4, 2018 at 10:27 am
Mike Madder, what a crazy situation. I can't believe this man is allowed to raise his grandchildren. Someone needs to say something. Something needs to be done. Thank you for sharing your insight. It is helpful for those of us that don't live in these communities. Please call your MP's and MPP's and demand change, one situation at a time.
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Mike Madder on Jun 5, 2018 at 11:33 pm
It is a relief to read the opinions knowing I'm not the only person that thinks that the system we rely on to protect our children is failing severely and Watson Lake resident my facts are correct. I know the father of both accused and both fathers have molested their children. And look at their children's records, not just these two, it's all violence. One daughter attacked a woman at a women's shelter while going to her car with a knife. Our system found her not criminally responsible. The sons of both Alfred senior and his brother Jack have all been charged with violent offences against innocent people but the reason behind all of this rage is the sexual abuse they endured as children. Am I making excuses for them? No I'm stating a fact and the predators themselves take no responsibility for this because the belief system in the Laska community is don't say anything. it's wrong to tell on your family and until we get legitimate councillors who know how to help bring the truth out and put the blame where it really belongs by charging these sick people, then there will be no change. It is one thing to get someone to share something so personal as they've been molested but now you've created a Humpty Dumpty. Have the skills to follow through and put them back together again. You do that by not keeping the secret but by changing the victim's belief system to convince them that what happened to them was not only wrong, but highly illegal. Then stand by them as a people while they face their predator in court. Hand the crap back to the predator and make him or her own their offences then help build their self esteem by becoming a community of love and caring. Not a community of secrets and sickness. Do that and you have a victimless community who will start to grow together and not feel ashamed of someone else's behaviour. Do that and you'll have a community with less drinking, drugging, suicides and murders. Don't do that and there will be no change and the secrets will continue so will the deaths.
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Sick on Jun 5, 2018 at 7:03 am
This story makes me sick to my stomach. Senior is raising his grandchildren? Wtf? Thank you Mike Madder for bringing to the surface that which the reporter did not do. What the hell is wrong with our justice system?
@ Juniper, I couldn't agree with you more.
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Watson Lake resident on Jun 4, 2018 at 2:00 pm
Mike you are right, but some of your facts are wrong.
He has one son that pled guilty to the murder of Olsen Wolftail, the other is his nephew that was charged with double murder. However he does have another son that was investigated for attempted murder (setting a trailer on fire while his ex was sleeping in it), I'm not sure where that is within the court or if he was charged with a lessor crime. Sr. is raising 4 grandchildren, one grand daughter and three grandsons.
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Josey Wales on Jun 2, 2018 at 10:02 am
Seems the BOLE effect is self sustaining the legal system...formerly known as the justice system.
It will only get worse in the seemingly acceptable “progressive” obsession with identity politics.
Need evidence of the BOLE effect?
One need look at the core of a once great community, the community formerly known as Whitehorse.
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Juniper Jackson on Jun 1, 2018 at 9:27 pm
Mike Madder: I totally agree with you...
The problems in the justice system are not just in the Yukon, but all across Canada.. there are plenty of laws, our legislation fills reams and reams of paper. I believe that the RCMP do their job. But when it goes to court.. the courts, the judges..fail to do theirs. They use the lowest common denominator the law allows and issue more reams of paper justifying their weak decisions, many of which put the community at risk.
Everyone these days is affected by lack of full application of the law. Defending yourself nets a call from the PM to the criminals, and the victim loses everything to lawyers and the legal system.
Murder should be treated as the heinous crime it is.. Race, color, creed, childhood, teenhood, adulthood should not be allowed to be used as an excuse to mitigate responsibility.. or avoid retribution for crime and especially not murder.
I knew both of these women, Wendy better than Sarah; all Wendy ever wanted was justice for Angel.. I hope the 3 of them have found peace.
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drum on Jun 1, 2018 at 5:31 pm
Mike Madder:
OMG - I had no idea of this sick triangle.
We do need a decent Justice system.
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north_of_60 on Jun 1, 2018 at 3:56 pm
The Yukon's two-tier, catch-and-release, Justice Business is fundamentally flawed. It's primary purpose seems to be making more work for more lawyers, not punishing criminals. Aboriginals can literally get away with murder with little more than a 'slap on the wrist'.
Yukon Justice needs a thorough review and overhaul by a committee of ordinary citizens, not a group of self-serving lawyers.
We want a fair and honest Justice System that treats all criminals the same and stops pandering to special interest groups.
Up 22 Down 0
Mike Madder on Jun 1, 2018 at 1:24 pm
Pfft - my rant as you called it is directed to the Yukon justice system that sentences these predators then allows them around children to the point that he is able to raise his granddaughter, the child of the one charged with double homicide, and that my friend is the Yukon Government......next
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Pfft on May 31, 2018 at 10:35 pm
@Mike re "Unbelievable. You gotta love the Yukon Justice System."
Umm, I think you mean to yell at LFN, because none of what you ranted about has ANYTHING to do with YTG at all. YTG doesn't elect officials for any First Nations, nor have any control over their hiring processes or policies. In your (justifiable I suppose) anger, you seem to have your wires crossed a bit.
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My Opinion on May 31, 2018 at 3:03 pm
I am Glad to see Bill being proactive on these issues. MMIWAG is a big problem, but most of the time the perpetrators are known by or related to their killers. These Nations need to stand up to these predators and help the system put them away for a long time. People in the communities are afraid to come forward as they know our existing system will just put them back on the streets looking for redemption against who turned them in. These catch and release programs don't work and the First Nations need to get on side. Quit trying to fix these people and forgiving them and protect the next generation from this damage.
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Mike madder on May 30, 2018 at 3:25 pm
So now we have two brothers charged with murder. Everett for killing two women ,Alfred junior charged with killing a elder in his own community. Yet their father Alfred senior a convicted pedophile, can hold a position as band councillor for LFN and accepts no responsibility for his crimes or the outcome of his parenting skills. As a result, his sons are now facing life in prison and he sits in a governing seat over his victims. Unbelievable. You gotta love the Yukon Justice System. The Yukon is the only place on the planet where sexual predators can be elected in to a position of authority and ignore the fact that the children he raised are both charged with taking the lives of others. When the Yukon actually starts implementing laws where predators like Mr. Chief senior can't be around children or be elected into a governing seat and sentence these people appropriately, nothing will ever change. These two men were victims of this man a long time prior to them taking out their rage on innocent victims.
Anyone who dislikes this comment, please feel free to express your opinion so the rest of the Yukon can see just how messed up the belief system in Watson Lake really is. The secrets in this community are deep and in this writers opinion, it's only the beginning of many more innocent people being victimized by the victims of such heinous crimes.