SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The family of Raymond Eagle, a Yellowknife man who died in January after being in a coma for more than three years, is hopeful a coroner's inquest scheduled for March will answer some of the questions that have plagued them since police found him unconscious in 2006.

Raymond Eagle died in January after spending three years in a coma. An inquest into his death will take place in March. Eagle’s father, Tom, frequently visited the hospital until his own death in September 2009. - NNSL file photo

Margaret Eagle, Raymond's sister, said she is compiling a list of questions she wants answered about what transpired the night of Aug. 3, 2006, when RCMP discovered her brother with what they described as a visible head injury.

"We hope the inquest will provide the answers that we're looking for," she said on the phone from her home in Peace River, Alta.

She said she will be in Yellowknife for the proceedings, but she's unsure her mother, who still lives in the city, will join her.

"It's still extremely painful for her," she said. "My parents had all the hope that Raymond would recover. They visited him daily. They provided additional care above and beyond what he was given. They held out more hope than I did."

Eagle was found on Aug. 3, 2006 unconscious, lying on a road in a downtown neighbourhood with a head wound. He was taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital where he received stitches before being released into police custody the same morning and taken to RCMP cells to "sober up," as was reported by his father, Tom Eagle, at the time.

Margaret said later that afternoon he was showing clear signs of distress, so the police brought him back to the hospital. About 18 hours later, he was medevaced to Edmonton and the next day he underwent brain surgery to remove a blood clot.

He never regained consciousness.

"It took a toll on my parents," said Margaret.

"Even up until my father passed away at the end of September 2009, it was constant worrying and praying for him and hoping Raymond would at least open his eyes."

On Jan. 5, Raymond passed away at the age of 48.

Margaret said she hopes the inquest will bring some closure to her brother's death, and the jury of six will do their job and make helpful recommendations to help prevent similar deaths in the future.

"My brother had his problems, but he didn't deserve this at all."

NWT chief coroner Cathy Menard said the inquest is mandatory in the NWT Coroners Act because Eagle had been detained by the RCMP before entering into a coma.

"With a coroner's investigation, what we're required to do is look at who, what, when, where and why the person died and the circumstances surrounding that death."

Menard said the coroner's office received a police report in October and is making Eagle's case a priority.

"The family has waited long enough," she said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.