 Features  News Desk News Briefs News Summaries Columnists Sports Editorial Arctic arts Readers comment Find a job Tenders Classifieds Subscriptions Market reports Northern mining Oil & Gas Handy Links Construction (PDF) Opportunities North Best of Bush Tourism guides Obituaries Feature Issues Advertising Contacts Archives Today's weather Leave a message
 |
|
.
Fort Smith escapee captured in Alberta
Paul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, October 27, 2008
Sheila Jewell, 27, was arrested in Grande Prairie, Alta., on the evening of Oct. 18. Jewell and Toni-Lynn Elizabeth Buggins, 25, escaped from the minimum security Territorial Women's Correction Centre on Oct. 12. According to Cpl. Carol McKinley of the Grande Prairie RCMP, Jewell was arrested at a residence in the northeast section of the city after police received some information on her whereabouts from the public. McKinley said the escapee was arrested without incident. Jewell, originally from Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, had been remanded to the Fort Smith facility on an arson charge. She is accused of setting a fire that destroyed eight townhouses at Yellowknife's Bison Estates on Feb. 28. Jewell has not yet been returned to the NWT. On Oct. 22, she appeared in Alberta Provincial Court on outstanding charges dating back to 2000 from the Grande Prairie area. Charges include impaired driving, registering a blood/alcohol level over .08 and two failures to appear in court. Court proceedings were put back to Oct. 27 to give Jewell the time needed to find a lawyer. "There is no movement of her to address the escape issue until the charges here in Grande Prairie are dealt with," McKinley said. Sgt. Grant Payne of the Fort Smith RCMP detachment said the whereabouts of Buggins remain unknown. Buggins, a Yellowknife resident, was serving time in Fort Smith for property-related crime. She is described as 175 cm (five feet, seven inches) tall, 66 kg (145 pounds), with light brown hair and green eyes, and of Dene heritage. Police believe Buggins and Jewell escaped in the early morning hours through a window of the Territorial Women's Correctional Centre. It is also believed both women immediately fled to Alberta by vehicle in the company of a Hobbema, Alberta, man. It is unclear if he was involved in what appears to be an organized escape or simply gave the two women a ride to Alberta afterwards, said Payne.. "Our next step is to obviously interview Ms. Jewell on the matter," said the corporal.
|
