Two murder trial dates set

Mark King Jeffrey, the man accused of killing a 13-year-old girl in Iqaluit well over three years ago, is to stand trial by jury, but he won’t appear in court for almost another year.

His trial date is set for Sept. 11, 2006.

Police arrested and charged Jeffrey with first-degree murder in March 2003, in connection with the death of Jennifer Naglingiq, whose body was found a few minutes after midnight on Dec. 6, 2002.

News of Naglingniq’s death traumatized the community and overshadowed a vigil held that December at Inuksuk High School to mark the 13th anniversary of the 1989 Montreal massacre. Staff at Inuksuk High School, where Naglingniq was a Grade 8 student, worked round the clock after her death to provide emotional support for the school’s 460 students.

Jeffrey’s trial was expected to be set for sometime in 2005, but it was delayed several times. Among the reasons for the delays were waits for the results of DNA tests.

Adrien VanEindhoven is scheduled to face a jury trial on March 27, 2006, in Rankin Inlet for second-degree murder.

VanEindhoven, 31, is charged in connection with the death of 22-year-old Leanne Irkotee, who died in late April 2004 inside the Rankin Inlet health centre.

Police found a badly-injured Irkotee inside a Rankin Inlet residence around 7:30 a.m. on April 23, after getting a call from someone who said Irkotee needed medical attention. They arrived with an ambulance and took the young woman to the health centre, where she was pronounced dead several hours later.