NUNAVUT
With the recent arrest of a man in the 2009 murder of Daisy Curley, the RCMP want Nunavummiut to know they are still looking into the territory's other five cases of unsolved suspicious deaths.

The RCMP in Nunavut said they are continuing to investigate five outstanding cold cases dating back to 1986. Inspector Frank Gallagher, left, commanding officer of the RCMP V Division listens to questions regarding the details of such cases with the media at a press conference in Iqaluit on June 14. - Emily Ridlington/NNSL photo

"Any homicide or suspicious death cases remain open; it never closes," said Sgt. Jimmy Akavak.

Police arrested Jeffrey Salomonie on June 6 in Cape Dorset on a first degree murder charge. He will make his first court appearance at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit on July 5.

Still unsolved is the case of Mary-Ann Birmingham, a 15-year-old who was severely beaten and stabbed more than 25 times in Iqaluit in May 1986. Though a man was charged with the crime, the presiding judge at a preliminary hearing ruled there was not sufficient evidence to commit him to stand trial.

There is also the case of Shoatee Joannie, 39, whose body was discovered in his Iqaluit home on Sept. 25, 1999. An autopsy found he died from "blunt force trauma."

The other cases are that of three hunters in Qikiqtarjuaq, the death of Tabitha Kalluk in Resolute in 2002 and the death of Mandy Suvissak in Kugaaruk in 2005, who was two years old at the time.

"Two of them are suspicious deaths we haven't been able to solve," Akavak said.

At a press conference on June 14 it was asked why two retired RCMP officers from western Canada were brought in to work on the Curley matter with three other personnel when there were other, older unsolved cold cases in the territory.

"It was the most recent and was the freshest," said Inspector Frank Gallagher, commanding officer of the RCMP V Division.

He said since they do not have a large unit, dedicating specific members to work on one case is difficult so that is why other members were called in. Gallagher added it also creates more work for other members since they are short on staff.

At one point or another someone has to make the call asking for assistance.

"The major crime unit is for all of Nunavut and they investigate tasks after the initial review," Gallagher said, adding "if it got to a certain point, we would call them [retired officers] in."

For any case no matter how old it is, Akavak said the RCMP always encourages the public to call in with any information they think could help with investigations. Contact your local RCMP detachment or phone Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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