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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The death of 63-year-old Yvonne Eva Desjarlais from Lutsel K'e, whose body was found in a downtown alley Sunday morning, is officially being called a homicide, Yellowknife RCMP announced Wednesday.

Cpl. Barry Ledoux answers questions about the suspicious death of Yvonne Eva Desjarlais. The 63-year-old woman's body was found in an alley on Dec. 30. A press conference was held at the Yellowknife RCMP detachment yesterday afternoon. - Laura Busch/NNSL photo

The results of her autopsy Wednesday were what led police to announce that the death is being ruled a killing, said RCMP Cpl. Barry Ledoux. Autopsies tend to take between four and six months, however, this case was given priority by the coroner's office in Edmonton because police considered the death suspicious, said Ledoux.

Yellowknife RCMP had received a call at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 30, alerting them of a body found in an alley near the intersection of Franklin Avenue and 53 Street. Police have not disclosed who discovered the victim.

The woman was then transported by ambulance to Stanton Territorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police held a press conference at the Yellowknife RCMP detachment yesterday afternoon, asking members of the public to assist them in building a timeline of Desjarlais' movements in the days leading up to her death.

"We're canvassing a large area of the city in relation to video evidence, speaking to people. We've spoken to over 150 people to date and our members are still actively out on the street speaking to more people and gathering more information and evidence in this investigation," said Sgt. Eric McKenzie, team lead for the investigation into Desjarlais' death. "We are asking for the public's assistance."

"We're not going to leave a stone unturned," said Ledoux. "Trying to discover the person or persons responsible for this crime becomes labour intensive. Any little bit of information that the public can provide on any accounts of movement of people, activities the day before, the night before, the day of. It might be the smallest piece of information that will assist us with our investigation."

In 2012, police investigated six homicides throughout the NWT, said McKenzie, who is also the head of the major crimes division for the territory. In Yellowknife, this is the only homicide investigation opened within the past year.

Desjarlais, born Yvonne Abel, grew up in the small hamlet of Lutsel K'e, close to 200 km east of Yellowknife. She also spent almost two years at residential school in Fort Resolution and Fort Smith.

"She was like an older sister to me and took me under her care when we went to residential school," cousin and close friend Florence Catholique told Yellowknifer in an e-mail response. "She was always there for me and cooked for me as she knew I wasn't a good cook. I will miss her deeply. My heart is heavy and broken.

"Yvonne was a very kind person, never angry or mean and was always there to help those in need," recalled Catholique. "She was one to share even when she didn't have much."

Desjarlais is mourned by a large extended family. She married twice. Her first husband was Napolean Michel and her second husband was Joe Desjarlais. Among her children are Marlene Drybones, Bernard Michel, Wally Desjarlais, Christopher Michel and Sharon Michel.

She loved being out on the land, said Catholique, and especially cooking bannock and fish over the fire.

- with files from Simon Whitehouse

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