Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (July 23/01) - An inquest will be held into the death of Nakasuk school principal Hal Richards.

Nunavut's chief coroner, Elizabeth Copland, made the announcement last week. She said there are many questions surrounding the Iqaluit resident's suicide.

"There are so many unanswered questions and people don't really know exactly what happened, what triggered his decision to end his life," said Copland from Whale Cove.

Richards, 52, was found dead in his residence on Saturday, June 9. His suicide left family members, students, teachers and community members shocked and confused.

"There are so many different stories and rumours about what happened. (Everybody) needs to know. We want to clear up some issues," said Copland.

The inquest is scheduled to take place in early January. Copland said the delay was the result of two other inquests that were also being conducted.

A six-person jury will hear the facts surrounding Richards' death and then make a series of recommendations.

"What triggered his decision? Was it job-related? Could the authorities have done something different if it was job related? Could they have helped in any way?" questioned Copland.

"They'll determine the cause of death and recommendations will be made to prevent the incident from happening again."

The inquest is expected to take approximately one week.