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Human remains found amid burned cabin

Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 5, 2007

AKLAVIK - Aklavik RCMP made a grisly discovery on Oct. 27 when they found the remains of a person in a charred cabin.

Police say the cabin, about 10 kilometre north of Aklavik, burned to the ground on Oct. 27.

RCMP Cpl. Holly Glassford was among the officers who were called to the scene early Saturday morning.

She said officers reached the cabin by snowmobile. When they arrived, they found the cabin still burning but almost completely charred.

When officers looked inside the cabin, they found a body which had been completely burned.

"The person will be very difficult to identify. Hopefully we can get some DNA," Glassford said.

As of press time, RCMP would not release the name of the cabin's owner, or say whom they believed was the victim.

Glassford said the victim was not a child.

The RCMP's Forensic Identification Section and Major Crimes Unit were also dispatched from Yellowknife immediately after the fire to conduct tests.

Greg Zimmerman, who started work as the Beaufort Delta's new fire marshal in early October, declined to discuss the case with News/North.

He said it was too early to say what might have caused the fire, and said he would wait until more results were known.

"This is certainly a difficult time for the community," added Glassford.

Aklavik's Gwich'in Chief Charlie Furlong also declined to discuss the case with News/North.