2 men charged with murder of Sanaak Unatweenuk in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik

Quebec’s provincial police say two men have been charged with murder of Sanaak Unatweenuk, 31, who went missing in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik in late June. A spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) told APTN News they had arrested two men in connection with Unatweenuk’s homicide on Sept. 9, one day after what would have been Unatweenuk’s 32nd birthday. Peter Saunders, 28, was arrested in Kuujjuaq and Sandy Mesher, 57, was arrested in Montreal. According to the SQ, they appeared in court in Montreal on Wednesday to face various charges, including “second-degree murder, accessory to murder, and desecration of a corpse.” Read more: ‘Policing in Nunavik is broken’: Inuit group wants change after latest fatal shooting Unatweenuk was originally from Kangiqsualujjuaq. His Facebook page identifies him as an employee of Ikajurtigiit, an Inuit solidarity co-operative that teachers construction skills. He was last seen on June 20, leaving the Kuujjuaq Inn. After Unatweenuk failed to report to a job site on June 24, his employer reported him missing. Initially the Nunavik Police Services (NPS) conducted a search, but on July 7, officers handed the case to investigators from the SQ’s Crimes Against Persons Investigation Division (CAPID). CAPID investigators, working with NPS, determined Unatweenuk had been the victim of a homicide. Saunders and Mesher are being held in custody ahead of further proceedings. Continue Reading