The Chief of the Behdzi Ahda First Nation, Wilbert Kochon, says his community is becoming a hub for accused criminals and admits his daughter recently helped a woman charged with attempted murder to get out of jail.
The accused is Hilah Rose McCauley. The former Norman Wells resident was 19 when she and a youth were charged in Yellowknife last Spring.
The incident happened on May 1 in an apartment on 53rd Street where an 18-year-old male was shot but survived. McCauley was arrested shortly thereafter.
McCauley has been released on bail and is now living with Kochon’s daughter in Colville Lake. CKLB Radio has learned that Chief Kochon’s daughter, Tracy Marie Eddibar, provided the surety for McCauley’s bail.
Despite the family connection, Chief Kochon says he first learned about McCauley’s move to Colville Lake through the media.
Chief Kochon says he recently met McCauley while visiting his grand children.
“She’s a pretty nice person.” Kochon says he and McCauley didn’t talk about her court case.
In the same breath, Chief Kochon admits that Colville Lake has become a preferred place to relocate for people facing serious criminal charges.
“I heard from prosecutors and lawyers that they didn’t want people to live in jail – they’d rather send them some place. Colville Lake is a dumping ground I guess.”
He adds that the band was never consulted by justice officials about McCauley moving to the community and says it’s time to have a band meeting about it.
“Next time they have to talk to leadership before they start doing that.”
Other band members have echoed Chief’s Kochon’s sentiments in the media, pointing out that Colville Lake doesn’t have police officers on site and are wondering who is going monitor McCauley .
