Yukon man pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of 87-year-old
CBC News | Posted: May 11, 2018 11:25 PM | Last Updated: May 11, 2018
Alfred Chief Junior says he doesn't remember killing Olson Wolftail
Warning: This story contains graphic details
Alfred Thomas Chief has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2016 death of 87-year-old Olson Wolftail in Watson Lake.
Chief, 33, admitted to beating Wolftail with a liquor bottle, but said he doesn't remember doing it.
Chief was initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter in February.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Chief, Wolftail and Chief's mother Minnie Charlie were drinking and were "highly intoxicated" on Dec. 22, 2016.
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Chief's sentencing date has been set for June 28.
Police alerted
At the time, Chief was bound by a bail condition requiring him to "abide by a curfew at his residence in Whitehorse."
The statement said that after midnight on Dec. 23, Charlie went to her brother's home across the street and told her nephew that "Alfred is beating on Olsen."
She called 911 and told the dispatcher, "Alfred took him and hurt him all over the place," and "Alfred Junior is hurting Olsen in the head."
Police arrived at the home about 10 minutes later, and found Wolftail dead, lying on his back in a storage room.
An analysis of blood and tissue spatter patterns found Wolftail had been struck multiple times in roughly the position police discovered him in.
According to the statement of facts, Chief was found on a pull-out couch in the living room, either asleep or unconscious, with bottles on the floor. He was dressed and was covered with what appeared to be blood on his nose, hands, shoes, shirt and jeans.
No memory of incident
The statement said that Chief was "combative" while being arrested and didn't appear to understand why it was taking place. Chief was put in a restraint chair at the police detachment after "punching walls and banging his head on the floor."
At the home, police found a bottle of Canadian Club Whisky, covered in blood and spattered with tissue. According to the statement, smudge marks on the bottle didn't yield fingerprints suitable for analysis.
It also said Wolftail died from blunt force trauma, without any contributing natural causes.
A pathologist who examined Wolftail found extensive fractures, bruising and lacerations.
DNA analysis confirmed stains on Chief's clothing and on the bottle contained DNA consistent with Wolftail's. It said that the possibility of the DNA matching to any other person was "extremely low."
"Chief has no memory of the facts outlined, but does not contest that he unlawfully caused the injuries that resulted in Wolftail's death," said the document.
A conviction of manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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