Gameti man pleads guilty in the death of Archie Wedzin

A 22-year-old man from Gameti has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a man from Behchoko.

In N.W.T. Supreme Court in Yellowknife Monday, Alecus Quitte admitted he stabbed 59-year-old Archie Wedzin twice in the neck last year after a night of drinking vodka and smoking crack cocaine at Wedzin's home in Behchoko.

Wedzin, a father of eight, was found dead in his home on April 8, 2019. Quitte was arrested in Gameti and charged with murder a little more than a month later.

According to an agreed statement of facts read out in court, on the night of April 7, Quitte and his girlfriend went to Wedzin's place to drink and smoke crack. At one point, Quitte got into an argument with Wedzin and left the home. He later returned and was allowed back in the house.

But another argument arose.

Quitte pulled out a knife and stabbed Wedzin. The fatal wound was 15-centimetres deep and severed Wedzin's jugular vein, according to the agreed statement of facts. Quitte and his girlfriend tried to stop the bleeding, then tried to hide the crime by cleaning up the blood.

Quitte is in custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Behchoko on April 16.