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HAY RIVER
Police have arrested a 53-year-old following the killings of two longtime Hay River residents on June 28.

Hay River RCMP officers were stationed outside the Mackenzie Place High Rise for a majority of the day on June 28. Two people were killed in town early that morning. - Kristen Campbell/NNSL photo

Benedict "Benny" Corrigal, 53, faces two counts of first-degree murder after 64-year-old Garfield McPherson and 48-year-old Carol Buggins were found dead early Thursday morning.

Corrigal is scheduled to appear in Hay River Territorial Court on July 3.

Shock waves undulated through the town as word broke of the two deaths. Police found the deceased in the Mackenzie Place High Rise. Four RCMP cruisers sat outside the building for part of the morning on June 28. RCMP officers circulated on the sixth and seventh floors, knocking on doors and talking to residents during the afternoon. They maintained their presence on the building's sixth floor throughout the day.

K'atl'odeeche First Nation Chief Roy Fabian said that Buggins, who lived in Hay River, was still connected with the reserve.

"There are a lot of people in shock to hear (of the deaths) ... because (Carol) was such a quiet person," said Fabian. "She just kept to herself. A lot of people are still in disbelief that something like that could happen."

Buggins was a student in Ken Latour's adult basic education class at Aurora College's Hay River campus last year. Latour, now the town's mayor, said she was an engaged and active member of the class.

"She was a smart lady with a wonderful sense of humour," he said. "She taught us things. She made us laugh all the time."

Beatrice Lepine, McPherson's maternal cousin, spoke to the Hay River Hub while watching younger generations of McPherson's family bringing in their morning catch at the fisherman's wharf in Hay River's Old Town. She said her cousin was a fisherman since a young age, and he took pride in his work.

"(Fishing) was his life," she said. "He was a much-loved fisherman. Everyone knew him. He was such a kind soul and there was always laughter when he was around."

The family is still trying to process the recent events and now is a time where the community at large should come together, she said.

"There has been a lot of speculation about the reasons why this happened," said Lepine. "It’s also painful to think of the suspect's family because we knew them so well. They were from a fishing family, too."

In referring to past tragedies in Hay River, including the shooting death of Const. Christopher Worden, Latour said town council will sit down with RCMP to discuss the community's needs.

"Real lives have been lost and impacted," he said. "The people's lives who have been taken need to be honoured and respected and grieved. As a community we can't lose sight of that. That's where we should be at."

Members of the G division major crimes unit, division forensic identification services and the NWT coroners services were still investigating the matter as of Friday, June 29.

"We want to be thorough and be sure everything has been looked at and taken into account," said G division Sgt. Wes Heron.

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