Toronto homicide unit takes over Mohawk fishermen drowning case

The Toronto Police Service has agreed to reinvestigate the 2015 drowning deaths of two fishermen in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, assigning the case to its homicide unit following a request from the Ontario Provincial Police last month. It’s the first time dedicated homicide detectives will examine the deaths of Tyler Maracle, 21, and Matthew Fairman, 26. “I haven’t stopped crying since I read this,” said Beverly Maracle, Fairman’s mother, upon hearing the news from APTN Investigates on May 5. OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique made the request on April 25 after APTN proved the original police theory of how the fishermen’s boat sank was wrong. Investigations by Tyendinaga Police Service and the OPP had ruled the deaths accidental, suggesting the fishermen drowned after overloading their boat with stolen fish. APTN disproved that theory during its documentary series, Secrets of the Bay, prompting Ontario’s chief coroner, Dr. Dirk Huyer, to conduct his own tests. His experts confirmed the original police theory was incorrect and suggested the boat may have been sunk by an external force. Following the experts’ findings, Carrique contacted Toronto police. “We sympathize with the families of Tyler Maracle and Matthew Fairman, who continue to endure the loss of their loved ones,” said OPP spokesperson Staff-Sgt. Jeffrey Del Guidice. Matty Fairman, left, and Tyler Maracle in undated photos provided by their families. The Toronto police homicide unit is now investigating their deaths. Maracle and Fairman disappeared on April 26, 2015, after setting out for spearfishing around 1:30 a.m. Their phones disconnected with a nearby cell tower at 3:09 a.m., and they were reported missing by 9 a.m. Items like gloves and chest waders were found floating in Telegraph Narrows of the Bay of Quinte, about 200 km east of Toronto. Thirteen days later, their bodies were discovered by a fisherman floating in the narrows despite it being heavily searched. The boat was found submerged nearby, containing a small quantity of rotting fish in a net belonging to someone else. In late 2023, APTN recovered the boat, previously buried under a claimed Mohawk tradition, and tested it on water the following spring. Even with over 1,500 pounds aboard, it didn’t sink until intentionally forced underwater. “It can be safe to assume that the vessel was not overloaded at the time of sinking,” naval architect Jami Buckley told the families during a meeting on March 3 in Tyendinaga. Buckley, one of two experts brought in by the coroner, also noted the sinking occurred slowly, with no indication of sudden panic or corrective actions. “We didn’t really see that on board here, which was a little strange,” said Buckley, adding the boat didn’t capsize, but swamped. “As it’s going down, it will rock back and forth gently … it’s not happening fast.” Reporter Kenneth Jackson stands in the boat in 2024 with approximately 1,100 lbs. in it showing the vessel floats well even beyond its weight capacity of 800 lbs. Despite being proven wrong, the OPP wasn’t willing to apologize to the families, yet. “We respect the Toronto Police Service’s process and await their results, following which we will identify any necessary next steps based on their findings. Any further questions in relation to the review can be directed to TPS,” said Del Guidice. Tyendinaga Police Chief Jason Brant also declined to apologize. “The Tyendinaga police will always co-operate and engage with another service for investigations of this nature. The Toronto police, as the new lead agency, will be no different when and if requests are brought forward. As it is ongoing, no further comments or speculations will be made,” said Brant. APTN asked Brant to clarify what he meant by “speculations,” as it was now a fact that the police theory was wrong. “I will clarify that I will not speculate what the Toronto police will ask or do during their investigation. But what is asked, we will be happy to assist,” Brant wrote, who wasn’t the chief at the time of the drownings. The cold case section of the homicide unit will be leading the reinvestigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Toronto police at 416-808-7400 or email: [email protected] Continue Reading