Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Rae Lakes (July 01/02) - A funeral service was held Friday for a 16-year-old murder victim from Rae Lakes.

Rocky Zoe was stabbed to death during an altercation at a home in Rae-Edzo during the early morning hours of June 23.

Zoe, a student at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Rae, was stabbed during a party where alcohol was being consumed.

Two other young males were also injured as a result of the altercation, but have since been released from hospital.

A 17-year-old male youth from Rae-Edzo has been arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder. He will appear again in territorial youth court in Yellowknife on July 8.

Marcel Zoe of Rae-Edzo said rumours are spreading like wildfire around the community about events that unfolded on the night the tragedy occurred. But as far as she knows, nobody knows what really happened.

Zoe has three children ages 13, 15 and 18, all of whom are shocked and consumed with sorrow.

"Everyone in the community is very sad, mostly the students. (Rocky) was a really nice guy and really shy," said Zoe, adding her three children talk about him all the time.

The principal at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School would not comment on the death of Rocky and how the school is helping students cope with the loss of a fellow classmate.

She referred News/North inquiries to Lucy Lafferty of the Dogrib Divisional Board of Education.

Lafferty refused to comment as well.

Her assistant informed News/North she preferred to leave any comments up to the discretion of the victim's family.

The family was not available for contact by press time.