Judge rules enough evidence for Jack Ekwalak to face trial for 1st-degree murder
Preliminary hearing into Rankin Inlet case concluded Tuesday
Jack Ekwalak conceals his face in a hoodie as he arrives at the Iqaluit courthouse Tuesday morning for a preliminary hearing. Ekwalak faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Tracey Netser in Rankin Inlet. (Photo by Daron Letts)
A Rankin Inlet man charged with first-degree murder must stand trial, a Nunavut judge ruled Tuesday.
Justice Susan Charlesworth’s decision came at the end of a two-day preliminary hearing in the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit. Jack Ekwalak, 44, was charged June 8, 2024, in Rankin Inlet after RCMP discovered the body of Tracey Netser.
A preliminary hearing is held to determine whether evidence supports proceeding to a trial. Details of evidence presented at Ekwalak’s preliminary hearing are protected under a court-ordered publication ban.
Ekwalak’s trial will likely be scheduled to take place in 2026 or early 2027, said Crown prosecutor Abel Dion.
“In this case, given the events that unfolded we feel that the trial should take place in Rankin Inlet,” Dion said in a telephone interview Tuesday following the hearing.
He said Ekwalak’s current election is for a trial by judge and jury.
Ekwalak, who remains in custody, will return to court on Oct. 20.
A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.
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