Karen Mackenzie
Northern News Services
Published Monday, June 16, 2008

IQALUIT - The RCMP has stayed a murder charge against an Iqaluit man in the suspicious death of his wife last week.

The 46-year-old man appeared in court June 9, shortly after being charged with the second-degree murder of his spouse.

He was released later that day, and a court date for July 8 is cancelled.

The woman was found lying on the floor of an Iqaluit residence in the early morning of June 7 by police responding to a call.

She was pronounced dead at hospital.

The charges against the man were stayed following consultation with the Public Prosecution Service and the pathologist who performed the autopsy, according to an RCMP release last week.

"In this case new information was brought in and it was decided that to stay the proceedings would be the best course of action," said RCMP V Division spokesperson Sgt. Mike Toohey.

With a stay of proceedings the charges can be reactivated or withdrawn within the next year, according to lawyer Susanne Boucher of the Public Prosecution Service.

As the investigation is ongoing "we cannot comment on the reasons for the stay," she said. The man and his family are now "just trying to put their lives back together," said lawyer Chris Debicki, who acted as duty council for the suspect.

"It's certainly unfortunate that a little bit more time hadn't been taken before pressing charges," he added. "It would have avoided the stigma that goes along with a charge like this."