Trial underway for Carmacks man charged in 2017 stabbing of Wilfred 'Dickie' Charlie

The trial of a Carmacks man charged in connection with the 2017 stabbing death of Wilfred "Dickie" Charlie got underway in Whitehorse on Thursday.

Tyler Skookum, 29, faces a charge of first-degree murder.

Crown lawyer Lauren Whyte told the 13-person jury Tyler Skookum stabbed Charlie multiple times while Tyler Skookum's cousin Mario Reuben Skookum held Charlie down. 

The Crown alleges Tyler Skookum then put Charlie in the Yukon River.

"We don't know if Mr. Charlie was dead or alive when he entered the water," Whyte said.

Mario Skookum already pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case and is to be sentenced in March. The two men were originally co-defendants but the case was split last month.

Whyte told jurors Mario Skookum will take the stand during Tyler Skookum's trial, which is expected to last four weeks.

"[Mario Skookum] might be reluctant to describe these events, but he is the Crown's only eyewitness," Whyte said.

First witness testifies

The Crown's first witness was RCMP Const. Scott Guthrie. He testified that the day after the alleged stabbing, Charlie's brother asked police to check on Charlie's wellbeing.

Guthrie said he found pools of blood on the deck of Charlie's house as well as inside. But Guthrie said he had been to Charlie's house on other occasions after Charlie had injured himself, so the blood was cause for concern, "but not alarming."

Guthrie said he spent hours searching Carmacks for Charlie. The next day, the RCMP and local search and rescue officials organized a wider search of the Yukon River.

The first civilian witnesses are scheduled to begin testifying on Monday.