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Fourth person faces murder charge in Sandy Creek death

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Mark Pocklington, band manager at Nahanni Butte, says plans to forge a trapline along a proposed mining road could be stalled due to lengthy wait times for “impractical” land use permits imposed by the GNWT.

A fourth person has been charged in connection with an ongoing homicide investigation in Hay River.

Tyler Cayen, 32, of Hay River is charged with murder and robbery, stated a Jan. 31 news release from the RCMP's Major Crimes Unit.

Cayen, the latest person to be charged with murder and robbery in connection with the investigation, made a brief appearance via video in NWT Territorial Court on Feb.6. His lawyer, Peter Harte, is seeking more time to obtain disclosed information for Cayen's defence. Cayen's next court appearance is set for March 20.

The charges relate to the death of Alexander Norwegian between Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 on the access road to Sandy Creek on the Hay River Reserve.

The RCMP have not released the name or any other information about the victim, as the case is still under investigation. However, the Hub has learned the identity of the victim through court records.

"It's a fairly complex investigation, so it's still ongoing," said RCMP spokesperson Marie York-Condon. "It doesn't indicate that there are necessarily other persons of interest or that we are anticipating that we would bring anybody else in. It just means that we're following up on the rest of the investigation."

She said if anyone has information regarding the death, the RCMP would encourage that person to contact them.

Three Hay River residents – two men and a woman – were charged in early January

with murder and robbery in connection with the death.

The accused are James George Thomas, 25; Levi Cayen, 20; and Sasha Cayen, 25.

On the morning of Dec. 28, the RCMP responded to a report of a vehicle found on the side of the access road to the Sandy Creek area.

A dead male was located inside the vehicle.

York-Condon said the RCMP will not be identifying the victim based on the federal Privacy Act.

"In general, the RCMP don't disclose a victim's name, any type of victim, whether or not it's an accident or a homicide, unless it would further the investigation," she explained.

York-Condon said the Privacy Act protects a victim's identity even after death, and even a family does not have authority under the act to give the RCMP permission to release a person's name.

– with files from Brendan Burke