Man charged with missing Indigenous man's murder in northern Ontario

Two people from northwestern Ontario have been charged after the body of a local missing Indigenous man was found, police say.
On Sept. 4, 45-year-old Buifford 'Beaver' Cowley, of Naotkamegwanning First Nation (Whitefish Bay First Nation) – 90 kilometres south of Kenora – was reported missing.
45-year-old Buifford 'Beaver' Cowley, of Naotkamegwanning First Nation (Whitefish Bay First Nation). (Facebook)
His remains were found in the Northwest Angle #33 First Nation area – near the Manitoba border -- by Treaty Three Police, the OPP Emergency Response Team and OPP Canine Unit, police said in a news release.
As a result of an investigation two people have been arrested in connection with his death, Ontario Provincial Police said.
A 29-year-old man from the victim's community is charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a dead body. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Kenora on Dec. 8.
The second person is a 23-year-old woman from Kenora with the same last name as the victim who has been charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact and indignity to a dead body. However, there is no confirmation that they are related. She is being held in custody and is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 1.
- Download our app to get alerts sent to your device
- Get the latest newsletter sent right to your inbox
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
The victim's obituary said he died Sept. 1, three days before he was reported missing.
"He grew up in Naotkamegwanning First Nation and truly enjoyed being with family, his children, fishing in all seasons, being out on the lake, walking around nature, tinkering with automobiles and had a great sense of humour," the obituary said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Russian warship armed with advanced missiles sails into western Atlantic in strategic 'chess game'
In an unusual move, the Russian Defence Ministry broadcast that one of its newest warships, the Admiral Gorshkov, had tested the strike capabilities of a hypersonic Zircon missile in a virtual drill.

Canadians fighting in Ukraine, despite no monitoring from government, speak out on war and loss
On Feb. 27, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country needed fighters, and foreigners were welcome to join the front line in the defence against Russian aggression. Some Canadians were among the first to answer the call.
Newly discovered asteroid makes one of the closest approaches of Earth
An asteroid the size of a box truck made one of the closest passes of planet Earth ever recorded.
Home Depot gave personal data to Meta without valid customer consent: watchdog
The federal privacy watchdog says Home Depot shared details from electronic receipts with Meta, which operates the Facebook social media platform, without the knowledge or consent of customers.
Provincial governments not jumping to act on tighter alcohol warning guidelines
Politicians in charge of provincial and territorial liquor laws aren't hurrying to adopt or promote newly updated guidelines that advise a steep drop in Canadian drinking habits.
Retain nurses before recruiting nurses from other provinces: association
Efforts to lure nurses from other provinces are underway in several parts of the country, but the head of a national nurses association says the poaching won't solve anything unless working conditions are improved.
Auschwitz anniversary marked as peace again shattered by war
Auschwitz-Birkenau survivors and other mourners commemorated the 78th anniversary Friday of the liberation of the Nazi German death camp, some expressing horror that war has again shattered peace in Europe and the lesson of Never Again is being forgotten.
No more expensing home internet bills to taxpayers, Tory and Liberal MPs told
The federal Liberal government is joining the Opposition Conservatives in no longer allowing its members of Parliament to expense taxpayers for home internet services.
No reason for alarm in Canada after cough syrup deaths in other countries: health agency
Following the deaths of more than 300 children from contaminated cough syrups in several countries, Health Canada says it's been more than a decade since similar cases were identified here.