Judge to deliver verdict Tuesday in Burwash Landing incident

A Yukon judge is deliberating over an unusualtrial with few witnesses, where two Burwash Landing men are charged with unlawfulconfinement and the victim has since died.

Two brothers, Willie Sheldon and Derek Johnson, are accused of unlawfully confining an 18 year old maleteen in 2013.The alleged victim has since killed himself.

BurwashLanding, Yukon, located on the Alaska Highway near Kluane National Park, had a population of 85 in the 2011 census. The community has a long-standing feud between twoJohnson families.

In June, ajudge ruled in favour of moving the trial to Whitehorse as thetwoaccused saidthey feared violent retribution if they were forced to return toBurwashLanding.

The alleged victim complained in August 2013he was held overnight at a drinking party and tortured by the two accused. The next day a friend of the teen took revenge with a baseball batattack on one of the alleged bullies. Heis serving an 18-month jail term.

The only witness for the prosecution was afriendof the dead teen, who testified the teenwas physically held against his willand looked bruised and beaten the next day after his allegednight of confinement.

The only witness for thedefenceis the wife of one of the accused who testified she saw no signs of violence when she picked her husband up from the party the next day.

The defencelawyers argued anacquittalis warranted as there's not enough evidence.

The judge said she willsleep on it a night and give a verdict Tuesdaymorning.