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
Radioactive capsule that fell off truck found in Australia
Authorities in Western Australia on Wednesday recovered a tiny but dangerous radioactive capsule that fell off a truck while being transported along a 1,400-kilometre Outback highway last month in what an official said was like finding the needle in the haystack.

Alberta First Nation signing child welfare agreement with feds without the province
An Alberta First Nation is to sign an agreement today with Ottawa giving it the autonomy to administer its child welfare.
Health Canada recalls mugs and houseware from Indigo due to mould contamination
Health Canada is encouraging Canadians to check their cupboards and kitchen tables as the agency has recalled more than 30 types of Indigo-branded items including ceramic mugs, mug ornaments and houseware products due to potential mould contamination.
'Legitimately flabbergasting': MP raises concerns over government's quarantine hotel spending
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner is raising concerns over the federal government's spending on so-called COVID-19 quarantine hotels, calling the total spent on a Calgary-area hotel in 2022 'legitimately flabbergasting.'
Tom Brady retires, insisting this time it's for good
Tom Brady, who won a record seven Super Bowls for New England and Tampa, has announced his retirement.
'We're all Tyre': Family prepares to lay Nichols to rest
The family of Tyre Nichols plans to lay him to rest on Wednesday, three weeks after he died following a brutal beating by Memphis police after a traffic stop.
Oregon kidnapping suspect dies of self-inflicted gunshot
A suspect in a violent kidnapping in Oregon died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday night after being taken into custody following a standoff with law enforcement, a police spokesman said.
Systemic inequities are putting women's health and lives at risk: Heart and Stroke report
A new report from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is highlighting 'significant inequities' in women's health care that is disproportionately affecting racialized and Indigenous women, members of the LGBTQ2S+ community and those living with low socioeconomic status.
'Dances With Wolves' actor arrested in Nevada sex abuse case
Las Vegas police on Tuesday arrested and raided the home of a former 'Dances With Wolves' actor turned alleged cult leader accused of sexually assaulting young Indigenous girls during a period spanning two decades, according to police records obtained by The Associated Press.