Cops find accused Igloolik man’s ID in his blood-stained jeans

The trial of Peter Angutimarik continued for a second day at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit Dec. 16. (FILE PHOTO)

Forensic investigators found bloodstained jeans containing a wallet belonging to a Peter Angutimarik, an Igloolik man charged with the second-degree murder of his roommate, forensic investigator Sgt. Bobby Zwarich said in court Dec. 16.

Zwarich testified on behalf of the Crown during the second day of Angutimarik’s trial at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit.

Angutimarik, now in his thirties, pleaded not guilty on the first day.

Esa Angutiqjuaq, 19, died of a knife wound to this throat during the early hours of Feb 29, 2009 in the Igloolik home he shared with Angutimarik.

Changes in defence lawyers and medical consultations delayed the trial for nearly seven years.

“There’s various amounts of ID in that wallet,” said Zwarich, who worked with the Edmonton Forensic Identification Service at the time of the investigation.

“There was picture ID of Peter Angutimarik.”

Zwarich also told the court that he found a bloodstained pair of socks and a long-sleeve shirt, as well as a crumpled rubber glove hidden behind a mattress in the bedroom.

According to evidence given by homeowner Jonah Innuksuk on Dec. 14, the bedroom belonged to Angutimarik.

The right-handed glove, said the sergeant, was turned inside out and “stained red within.”

Zwarich found a bloodstained left-handed glove, also turned inside out, in the bedroom of the victim, hidden inside a Playstation 2 device in a storage closet.

Beside the glove were two knives. One had traces of blood on the blade.

Zwarich also confirmed finding the wrapper for the rubber gloves in the kitchen’s trashcan.

This supports testimony from Jonah Innuksuk, the third tenant in the home, who also discovered the wrapper after Angutiqjuaq was attacked.

Innuksuk also testified he saw Angutimarik in the kitchen before the attack.

Zwarich told the court he was led to the box in Angutiqjuaq’s room because Igloolik RCMP told him during a briefing they suspected the murder weapon was located there.

“What led you to the left-handed bedroom and the box in the closet?” defence lawyer Alison Crowe asked during cross-examination.

“That was the initial story I was told after they had interviewed Mr. Angutimarik,” Zwarich said.

“I was told that Mr. Angutimarik had cut Esa’s throat and then hid the knife in a Playstation 2 box in the cubby hole in Esa’s bedroom.”

Zwarich is referring to a confession that Angutimarik made during an RCMP interview shortly after police arrested him in 2009.

But Angutimarik now says he made his confession under duress because he wanted to return to his cell, and he assumed that his innocence would be proven in time.

That claim led to a “voir dire” hearing on the admissibility of the confession before the trial began.

“Voir dire” hearings are special court processes held to decide if certain pieces of evidence should be admitted in court.

But after weighing arguments from the Crown and Angutimarik’s lawyers, Justice Neil Sharkey — who is also presiding over the trial — accepted the police statement as admissible.

Angutimarik’s trial, which was postponed yesterday because of technical issues, is expected to continue until Dec. 23.