Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Oct 10/01) - Charges have been laid after two major crimes in the Kivalliq last week.

Jeremy Kuuk, 29, of Baker Lake has been charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of Samuel Nagyougalik, 40, also of Baker Lake.

Nagyougalik's lifeless body was found in the middle of the road in Baker Lake, near the Arctic College building, about 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 2.

It is believed the taxi driver died between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.

Five officers from the Nunavut Major Crime Unit and one from the Nunavut Forensic Identification Unit assisted local RCMP members in the investigation.

Cpl. Paul Richer of the Baker Lake detachment of the RCMP says the ordeal has taken a toll on the community.

"This has been very hard on the entire community, especially the families of the two individuals involved," says Richer.

"We had a critical incident stress debriefing team come into Baker this past Friday to help the family members and those affected by this deal with their emotions."

Nagyougalik's body was flown to Winnipeg where a post mortem exam was carried out on Oct. 4.

The official cause of death was listed by the pathologist as blunt force trauma.

Kuuk made his first appearance in the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit on Oct. 5. He was remanded to the Baffin Correctional Centre until his next court appearance in Iqaluit on Nov. 1, at 9:30 a.m.

Police in Rankin Inlet have made an arrest in a sexual assault and theft case that rocked the community on Sept. 27.

Kudlu Kellypalik, 19, of Rankin Inlet (formerly of Cape Dorset), has been charged with sexual assault with a weapon and break and enter.

Kellypalik is accused of breaking into two residences. A woman was sexually assaulted at one residence and a large quantity of small change was stolen from the two homes. The amount of the stolen money is estimated to be in the $600-$700 range.

Kellypalik is scheduled to appear before the Nunavut Court of Justice on Dec. 5 in Rankin Inlet.