Mother Tammy Maracle says she is not leaving the Tyendinaga Police property, until there is a new investigation into her son’s death.
On April 26, 2015, Tyler Maracle (21) and friend Matthew Fairman (26) launched their fishing boat from a Bayshore Road launch. They went out fishing around 1:00 a.m. They were fishing the cold waters of the Bay of Quinte for pickerel. Maracle and Fairman never returned.
For two weeks, the OPP Marine Unit searched the waters of the Bay of Quinte near the Skyway Bridge (Highway 49). Tyendinaga Police, community members, and other agencies also assisted in the search. About two weeks later boaters discovered the young men’s bodies.
Tammy Maracle says the Coroner’s Office and police ruled the deaths as drownings. Maracle believes there was foul play. She says there were fisherman in the community who were dangerous, and she believes they may have had something to do with their deaths. There were battles at times over fishing nets.
The following has been provided to Quinte News by the Maracle family as “Key Statements”
- At the very start of the investigation, the first place the police were told to look was the “lighthouse”. An advanced sonar machine, helicopter, experienced divers, and hundreds of searchers missed locating these young men, yet every single search began at the lighthouse. These young men, as well as their boat, somehow still seemed to pop up at the lighthouse 14 days after going missing.
- The family would like a third party to take over the investigation. Tyendinaga police do not have the knowledge or the resources to have taken on this investigation.
The following has been provided to Quinte News by the Maracle family as “Lack of Investigation by Tyendinaga Police”
- The area where the truck was found was not taped off. It was available for the whole community to have access to.
- Why did it take three days after the disappearance of one of our young men for the Tyendinaga Police to contact Tyler’s family? Showing up after three days, and over a two week period, only returning twice, two days before the boys were found (after a call was made to Chief Ron Maracle by the family) and the day that they had been found.
- Why were community members allowed to take and relocate items, without them being examined by a detective, or identified by family first?
- Autopsy was taken to the (current) Tyendinaga Chief of Police. Jason Brant reacted and replied “Give me some time, this is new to me. I need to send this to an Independent Review Board.” Three to four months later, and no response from the Chief of Police, we (Maracle family) called asking how he had made out. Jason replied, “I got together with OPP and the investigation was done properly. Have you thought about hiring a private investigator?” I (Tammy Maracle) asked if it would make a difference and Jason replied, “Probably not.”
- When belongings were found, such as waders, hat, gloves, and shoes, they were not properly secured and tagged as evidence. Waders were found on the south side of the bay neatly folded, NO WATER.
The following has been provided to Quinte News by the Maracle family as “Evidence not Investigated”
- The strings that had been found in Tyler’s stomach, were not detailed by the coroner or investigated by Tyendinaga Police.
- How come the boat was never examined?
- Belongings found and not taken in securely as evidence
The following has been provided to Quinte News by the Maracle family as “Remaining Unanswered Questions”
- Once the boat took on water, both men would have scrambled to remove their chest waders, as they would have started to fill with water. If accidentally drowned, how did they remove their boots by neatly folding them down as found? Or get them off neatly enough in the time it took the boat to fill with water?
Maracle, her family, friends, and other community supporters are going to set up shop Thursday at the Tyendinaga Police Station on York Road on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Her goal is to get police to reopen the investigation to get “answers”.
No allegations have been proven in court.
Our conversation with Tammy Maracle can be heard below.
