A man and woman have been charged with murder in connection with the death of a young boy in Port Alberni in 2018, RCMP say.
Mitchell Frank, 29, and Rykel Frank, 28, have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of six-year-old Dontay Lucas, Port Alberni RCMP said on Saturday.
The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council said that Rykel Frank was Dontay’s mother and Mitchell Frank was his step-father.
The boy’s father, Patrick Lucas, said in a social media post after the arrest: “Our voices and prayers have been answered.”
In the morning hours of March 13, 2018, police attended a home in Port Alberni after receiving a report about a six-year-old child in medical distress.
The child, who was identified as Dontay, was taken to a hospital, but did not survive.
“These investigations are difficult for everyone involved, and we understand the length of time that it has taken to get to this point has been challenging for the community,” Port Alberni RCMP Insp. Eric Rochette said in a statement.
RCMP provided no other details about the case. A news conference is scheduled for Monday.
The accused are expected to appear in court in Port Alberni on Wednesday.
Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, called out the justice system, saying it has to do better and that the family has a long wait for the trial to begin.
“The death of any person is very sad, but it is even sadder when it is a young child with their whole life ahead of them," she said.
Mariah Charleson, council vice-president, said Saturday that four years is a long a time for family and loved ones to wait for justice. “We must push the justice system to work in a way that proves to us all that our lives are valued and cherished.”
The council offered prayers to the communities of Ahousaht and Hesquiaht Nations where the child held family ties and hoped the announcement of charges brings some closure. “We hold you close to our hearts during this devastating time.”
Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions said in a statement to the Times Colonist that Dontay “was lost much too soon from our community, but will not be forgotten.
“The loss of this young boy under these tragic circumstances was unimaginable for me as a mother, and I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it has been on the family over the years,” Minions said.
“I hope justice is served and some level of relief can be given through this step to the family and to our community,” she said. “We are grateful to the RCMP for their continued commitment to this case and to Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and others in our community who continually advocated for justice.”
