Nunavut dangerous offender’s death deemed ‘non-suspicious,’ police say

The death of a dangerous offender who spent the past 25 years in a psychiatric facility for multiple sexual assault crimes has been deemed not suspicious, a Saskatoon police spokesperson says.

Tommy Veevee, originally from Pangnirtung, died Jan. 28 at the Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatoon, Sask., the Correctional Service of Canada reported.

Police responded to a call at the psychiatric facility for an unresponsive 57-year-old man at 4:45 a.m., wrote Saskatoon Police Service spokesperson Joshua Grella in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

“The death was determined to be non-suspicious; as such, this is a Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service investigation,” he wrote.

The Correctional Service of Canada did not respond to Nunatsiaq News’ request for comment.

Veevee had been serving an indeterminate sentence in a psychiatric facility since November 1998 after he was convicted of two sexual assaults in Iqaluit in June and October of 1997.

Justice Beverly Browne declared him a dangerous offender in 1999, which meant Veevee had to stay in custody until a parole board released him. The board reviewed his case every two years.

She took into account all previous non-sexual and non-serious crimes Veevee had committed in his past into her decision.

In her sentencing, she found Veevee suffered from a series of mental illnesses and wanted him to be treated in a psychiatric facility.

“He certainly has many problems but I hope someone will take him on as a challenge and will put together a team of professionals who will work hard with Mr. Veevee’s co-operation to work towards his rehabilitation and eventual release into the community,” Browne wrote in her sentencing.