Raymond Simpson, 43, ID'd as man found dead in Yellowknife

The brother of a man found dead in downtown Yellowknife Friday morning says Raymond Simpson was a good man and a good trapper who "always had heart for anybody."

Simpson, 43, was found dead in the 5000 block of the alley between 48 Street and 49 Street shortly after 8 a.m. Friday. Yellowknife RCMP said in a statement Friday evening they were investigating the death but that there was no evidence of foul play.

For now, the family is waiting on autopsy results, after Simpson's body was sent to Edmonton. 

"I never saw the body yet," says his older brother Leon Simpson Rabesca, who lives in Edzo, N.W.T.

"I think when I see the body, I might break down pretty hard."

Grew up in Gameti

The third child in a family of six, Raymond Simpson grew up in a big, traditional family in Gameti, N.W.T., but when he died, he was living on the streets in Yellowknife.

"When I heard the news Friday, my younger brother was home at that time," says Leon. "And my younger brother, he was crying, and I said: 'what's going on?'

"And he said: 'Raymond's gone."

Raymond's younger days in Gameti were characterized by trapping. According to Leon, they spent plenty of time out on the land with their father.

"We grew up together," he says. "My dad — he's still alive — we'd go trapping together. Always trapping together.

"He's nice, working [on the land]. Good worker. Good worker in the bush."

Car accident left him in coma

However, two years ago, a serious car accident left Raymond in a coma for a week. He was medevaced to Edmonton, where he underwent several surgeries.

After a brief stay in Yellowknife following his return to the North, he moved back to Gameti, where he lived with his sister, Therese.

"He was doing good," says Leon. "I was so happy when he was doing good.

"Then he went back in fall to Yellowknife, to do a check up. And he didn't go back."

'Always got heart for anybody'

Leon says that after returning to Yellowknife, Raymond began living on the streets, despite the family's pleas to bring him back to Gameti.

"I came back from two weeks at the mine and I went to Yellowknife," Leon says.

"He was still on the streets. He asked me for money, so I gave him money. I said, 'I can't keep doing this all the time. Go back to Gameti. Do something for yourself.'"

But he says Raymond said he wasn't ready to leave the streets.

"I told him, 'Try to go back to Gameti.' He said he'd got a plane ticket already. I told him I'd drop him off at the airport. He said later: 'I'm not going to go right now.'"

"I know that street people in Yellowknife all know Raymond," Leon says, remembering his brother. "They should pray for him.

"I know he did a lot of things but he'd never been bad. He never took nothing from anybody. Always got heart for anybody. So those street people, they should think about him, pray for him."

Leon says the funeral will take place in Gameti once the autopsy has been completed.