Yellowknife (Oct 03/03) - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have charged a 59-year-old Yellowknife man with second-degree murder in connection with the sudden death of his wife early Tuesday afternoon.

Ian Adam Kirby was arrested was after police found the body of Betsy Kalaserk-Kirby, 29, in the couple's ground floor apartment on the corner of 52 Avenue and 49 Street at around 12 p.m.

"We have (Kirby) custody and our investigation is continuing," said RCMP Insp. Paul Richards, who could not release the cause of death.

"There are still some things that we need to look into... and the matter is now before the courts, so there isn't a lot we can divulge."

Richards did say the death fell into the "larger context of family violence" and may have been the result of a domestic dispute.

But he implied Kirby -- who neighbours say was much smaller than his wife-- may not have been the aggressor in previous confrontations.

When Yellowknifer asked if that meant Kalaserk-Kirby hit her husband Richards said: "It was not a typical domestic (abuse) situation."

A number of residents in the couple's Polaris Apartment complex report hearing arguments on more than one occasion.

"I could hear them at three or four in the morning yelling and running down the hallway," said one woman who asked no to be identified.

"It would wake me up at night. You could tell something was wrong."

Others neighbours say they can't remember hearing the couple fight.

"I really didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary," said one woman who lived across the hall from the victim.

"I never heard them fight," said another.

But Kalaserk-Kirby's sister, Celina Kalaserk, said the couple's relationship became rocky when alcohol was involved.

"It was a major problem. They would both drink," she said.

Police won't say whether or not alcohol was a factor in Kalaserk-Kirby's death, but her sister Celina said it was a distinct possibility.

"Normally, things were OK, but when they drank there would be problems."

Police were alerted to Kalaserk-Kirby's death at around noon Tuesday afternoon, when emergency services received an emergency phone call from an unidentified source.

By the time police arrived at the Polaris Apartments, Kalaserk-Kirby was already dead.

Richards wouldn't comment on who telephoned the police, but residents say Kalaserk-Kirby's teenage niece was staying in the apartment at the time of the incident. Kirby-Kalaserk, who was born in Churchill, Man. and moved to Yellowknife several years ago, also has a seven-year old son who neighbours say was in school at the time of the incident.

Went for a beer

Kirby was arrested later that afternoon at a downtown bar thanks to a tip from an employee.

"He was sitting in there, just having a drink when we took him into custody," said Richards.

One of Kirby's neighbours reported seeing the 59-year-old walking down 50 Street shortly after noon.

"He looked at me, nodded and just kept walking," said the woman, who didn't want to be identified.

Celina Kalaserk was shocked to find her brother-in -law had been charged with second-degree murder in connection with her sister's death.

"I couldn't believe it," she said.

"He was really nice, the quiet type.

"I can't understand why he would do it. I feel sorry for him."

As news of her death spread, Kalaserk-Kirby was remembered as a loving mother and caring neighbour.

"She was so nice to everyone and she was an excellent mother to her son," said her sister.

Her neighbours said Kirby-Kalaserk was a kind and soft spoken.

"She was really nice, but she didn't talk a lot," said one woman who often watched Kirby-Kalaserk's seven-year- old son.

"But whenever I saw her, she was smiling and seemed happy."

"She was always friendly to me. Whenever we passed each other in the hall she would smile and wave."

Celina Kalaserk, who was in Yellowknife with her mother, will return to Rankin Inlet today along with her sister's seven- year-old son.

A funeral will be held in the small Nunavut hamlet later this week.

Forensic investigators spent most of Tuesday afternoon and part of Wednesday combing the Kalaserk-Kirby's apartment for clues, but Richards couldn't discuss what, if anything, they had found.

Kirby, who made a brief appearance before a justice of the peace Wednesday, will appear in territorial court today.

This was Yellowknife's second homicide since June, the most in any year since 1988.