Teen charged with murder to be tried as youth

A 19-year-old Iqaluit man facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with the 2002 beating death of Davidee Nowdlak will be tried as a youth.

The male, who cannot be named because he was a youth at the time of the incident, was originally charged as an adult.

Youths charged with serious crimes, such as homicide, are automatically tried as adults under the new Youth Justice Act.

Justice Beverley Brown agreed to a defence request to have the teen tried as a youth at a transfer hearing in Iqaluit on Aug. 8. Browne said she’s satisfied the accused stands a good chance of rehabilitation and that he does not pose a threat to public safety.

Nowdlak was found severely beaten on an Iqaluit street on July 16, 2002. He died three weeks later, nine days short of his 48th birthday.