Pubdate: Fri, 27 Mar 2009
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2009 The Edmonton Journal
Contact: http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Richard Warnica, and Laura Drake

TEEN ARRESTED IN ECSTASY CASE

16 Year Old Now Faces Nine Charges Related To Girls' Drug
Deaths

As members of the Paul Band First Nation gathered late Wednesday to
say goodbye to two young girls, police were getting ready to move in
on the teen they think was responsible for their deaths.

On Thursday, a 16-year-old boy who is member of the Paul Band was
accused of selling the girls the ecstasy that killed them.

The boy, 16, faces nine charges, including two counts of criminal
negligence causing death and four counts of trafficking in a
controlled substance. He was released with conditions and is scheduled
to appear May 1 in Stony Plain Provincial.

Under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the boy can't be
identified.

Leah House, 14, died Wednesday morning in the Stollery Children's
Hospital.

Trinity Bird, 15, died Tuesday night.

They were among a group of nine girls who took the drug Saturday night
at a round dance on the reserve west of Edmonton.

A third girl remains in hospital and her condition continues to
improve, said Dennis Paul, a band adviser.

"Right now, our first priority is to support the families and put
these little girls to rest."

A viewing for Bird is scheduled for Friday at the Ironhead golf
course, with a funeral the following day in the gymnasium at the Paul
Band school.

Funeral arrangements for House have not been announced.

After the arrest, RCMP said information from the public was key to
their investigation.

At the legislature Thursday, Solicitor General Fred Lindsay called the
case tragic, but said it could have happened in any other community in
the province.

"Our heart certainly goes out the community and the family and friends
involved ," Lindsay said.

" But it just points out again that we definitely have to get to down
to the root cause of people using drugs, because there's no quality
control on the manufacturing of drugs."

Lindsay said he couldn't understand the risks some people
take.

"Why would you put something in your body if you don't have a clear
understanding of what it is?" he said.

"This is just a tragic, tragic case."
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