Cambridge Bay (Apr 04/05) - A year after Rhoda Maghagak was found dead in her Cambridge Bay apartment, an arrest has been made in connection with her death.

Christopher James Allukpik, 24, was arrested in Yellowknife last week and charged with first degree murder.

Allukpik is a former resident of Kugluktuk, and was living in Cambridge Bay at the time Maghagak died, March 12, 2004. She was 49.

At the time of his arrest, Allukpik was an inmate at the North Slave Correctional Centre. He appeared in court in Iqaluit on March 31.

Police remained tight lipped about the role DNA played in the arrest.

"I can't comment on anything to do with the investigation," said Sgt. Bill Mooney of the Cambridge Bay detachment. "We don't want to jeopardize the court proceedings."

"I have spent time with the family," continued Mooney. "I can't speak for them. But I do know that as an organization, we are relived and extremely grateful to the family and to the public for their unending patience which allowed us to continue this lengthy and difficult investigation," said Mooney.

Terry McCallum, the mayor of Cambridge Bay, said he hopes the arrest brings some closure to the case that frightened and upset his community for too long.

"Hopefully it will be dealt with in a timely manner," said McCallum. "I'd like to thank the public for their patience," he added.

Throughout the investigation, rumours about who did it tormented the close-knit community of just over 1,000 people.

Police say they stood their ground, even in the face of criticism about the slow-moving pace of the investigation.

"People tend to differentiate between rumour and fact. We followed up every lead we could," said Mooney.

"The people were patient with us for this long. Now someone has been arrested and charged today. It's not over with yet."