Judge to deliver verdict Tuesday in Burwash Landing incident

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

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

Burwash Landing, 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 two Johnson families.

In June, a judge ruled in favour of moving the trial to Whitehorse as the two accused said they feared violent retribution if they were forced to return to Burwash Landing.

The alleged victim complained in August 2013 he 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 bat attack on one of the alleged bullies. He is serving an 18-month jail term.

The only witness for the prosecution was a friend of the dead teen, who testified the teen was physically held against his will and looked bruised and beaten the next day after his alleged night of confinement.

The only witness for the defence is 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 defence lawyers argued an acquittal is warranted as there's not enough evidence.

The judge said she will sleep on it a night and give a verdict Tuesday morning.