Not guilty in Prince George; another failed

crossing of the Canadian justice divide? ask First Nation demonstrators

Myles Thomas, 31, was shot to death by Ronald Nicklas George, who lived with Doris Thomas in a house trailer at Fraser Lake, BC, (a common-law relationship of some duration).  The son of Doris, Myles Thomas had a history spent in the house trailer arguing and physically fighting with Ron George. The seven-man, five-woman jury heard testimony over eight days, then began deliberations Thursday and returned with the verdict Friday,not guilty. As was the case during the days of the trial, First Nations demonstrators stood together from Nadleh Whut'en, Stellako, and Takla First Nation communities also joined by members of Carrier Sekani Tribal Council. Signs said, "We will not rest until justice is served", "Myles Thomas deserves to rest in peace," "Stop slaughtering Native people," and "Justice has not been served."

 

Fraser Lake, BC, lies a couple hundred kilometres west of Prince George on Highway 16, and people from there and the adjoining First Nation community of Nadleh Whut'en work in the molybdenum mine, forestry, and hunting and fishing, mainly.

The trial was undertaken in the Prince George Law Courts, which saw things wrap up on Sep 20 07, and the daily in Prince George reported the BC Supreme Court proceedings. Reports included testimony and proceedings from second degree murder charges laid by Crown, to which the defence successfully replied it had been an act of self-defence.

During the trial a tale of acrimony was reported to exist between Myles Thomas and Ron George culminating in the shooting of Myles Thomas, at 3 A.M., Dec 27 05.

"Suspect didn't know why he shot man, court hears," is the headline over the single column account on page 6 of the Prince George Citizen (Sep 18 07). Ron George is not exactly a suspect, because the accused was the party doing the shooting, it was Ron George's gun, it happened in Ron George's trailer (shared with Doris), and by his own admission it started at his own behest (for Ron George admits brandishing and loading the gun while sitting in the same room across from Myles Thomas). Whence the shooting took place, Doris phoned 911 and Myles passed away in the Prince George hospital a few hours later.

Ron George admitted 18 hours after the fact, to Constable Mark Wielgosz, interrogating officer from the North District serious crime unit of the RCMP, that he knew not why he shot Myles Thomas, except that he was acting in self-defence.

George told the officer, "(Myles Thomas) said, 'If you're going to point that at me, you'd better use it." George told Officer Wielgosz that Myles Thomas charged at him and the shooting occurred in self-defence, because he figured if Myles Thomas got ahold the gun he would use it on Ron George.

Apparent forensic evidence indicated it was more likely a shot in the back, because the larger defect on the body was on the front, which indicated a shot in the back, thus the Crown asked the question, "How can this be self defence?" Members of the community even speculated Myles was shot while sleeping.

Ron George is not from Nadleh Whut'en, is not First Nation for that matter, and people there take pains to clarify the point, he has no relations in the folks at the Fraser Lake community of Nadleh Whut'en, even if a few members share the same last name of George. They clarify that Doris Thomas is Nadleh Whut'en descendent and former resident, while Ron George is a non-Native resident of Fraser Lake.

The proceedings were closely observed by Nadleh Whut'en members, friends and family of the Thomas family. Myles Thomas was a father whose two children obviously miss him, and the daughter, Wynonna French, 12, was on the courthouse steps Sep 20 07. Myles Thomas was also father to a 7 year old son.

 

"He was an awesome dad," said Yvonne George, formerly of Nadleh Whut'en who lives in Northwestern BC, "He was a hunter and provider." What they heard in court testimony sounded like sufficient evidence for the jury to convict, she said, hours before the verdict of not guilty.

The Fraser Lake / Nadleh Whut'en community members were at the Prince George Law Court to listen closely to the statements surrounding the case and demonstrate on the courthouse plaza about their feelings in the matter.

The consensus on the courthouse steps went like this: He deserves the conviction on second degree murder because the evidence is enough to convict, so anything less than conviction would be yet another abdication of justice, probably on the basis of a racial divide in Canadian society.

The citizens of First Nation communities in Canada or members of urban environs often find themselves in a fight for justice after the fact, but in Prince George the First Nations confront the racism head-on. The demonstration members wanted a life sentence and long period of ineligibility for parole. This they did not receive. The Crown has 30 days to appeal and the defence said the jury came to a verdict after hearing all the evidence and due deliberation, although, to observers, the verdict came fast.