Neskantaga First Nation Disappointed With Stay in Adam Capay Murder Trial

Neskantaga First Nation Disappointed With Stay
in Adam Capay Murder Trial

NESKANTAGA: Neskantaga First Nation Chief Wayne Moonias has issued the following statement after a court decision yesterday that Adam Capay, who was charged with the first-degree murder of Neskantaga member Sherman Quisses, will not stand trial.

“Neskantaga community and the Quisses family have fought for justice for Sherman since his murder in 2012 and we are very disappointed that this murder trial will not proceed. Sherman’s murder has devastated his family and severely affected our community. Members of the Quisses family are still struggling to deal with their loss and are experiencing ongoing emotional distress. This decision revictimizes the family. We strongly opposed the granting of a stay in this case, and we are struggling to understand how there can be no justice for Sherman. We appreciate the support we have received during this lengthy legal process and Neskantaga will continue to support the Quisses family during this difficult time.”

In a ruling delivered Monday, Justice John Fregeau granted a stay of proceedings after finding that Adam Capay’s rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms were violated.

Sherman Quisses, 34, was the father of one child and the second oldest of six siblings. When he was murdered in 2012, he predeceased his mother, Edna Moonias who passed away in 2014, and his grandmother, Sarah Quisses, who passed away in 2016.

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Neskantaga First Nation is situated in Northern Ontario on Attawapiskat Lake, 271 kilometres north east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is a remote community accessible only by air or winter ice-road. It has over 500+ band members.

For more information, please contact: David Paul Achneepineskum, Matawa First Nations Management CEO at (807) 344-4575 or at  davidpaul@matawa.on.ca