Brenda Matto says her oldest brother Gilbert, who everyone called Gilly, was always there for his friends and family.
“He was such an outgoing person, just always making people laugh, always willing to work,” she said.
“He was like the core of the family.”
Gilbert was 48 years old in June 2023 when he was killed in Fort Providence.
“Everybody misses him,” his sister said. “I love him so much, every day is heartbreaking for me.”
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Matto added that her brother, who was a member of Deh Gáh Got’ı̨ę First Nation, loved fishing, was a wrestler in high school, and worked on the NWT’s highways and at Sambaa Deh Falls Territorial Park.
“My brother’s always been a really, really awesome person,” she said. “Everybody loves him.”
RCMP said they had arrested two women after a man was found deceased at a home in Fort Providence on June 12, 2023. While police subsequently charged one woman with second-degree murder in Gilbert’s death, the Crown stayed the charge in late 2024.
In a statement, Nathalie Houle, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, told Cabin Radio the Crown had determined the case no longer met the “standard for prosecution” but did not provide further details.
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Matto said it was difficult for her family to learn the charge was stayed and they are still hoping for justice.
“I want justice to be final for my brother,” she said, saying that is needed for her brother and family to have peace.
Matto said it has been challenging seeing the women who were arrested in her brother’s death back in the community without court conditions.
“It makes my hair stand up the back of my neck every time I see them,” she said. “I just have to keep my head up and look away, not only for me but for my family too.”
Matto said anyone who has something to say should speak up or reach out to supports if they need help. She said she and her family have received support from victim services, the RCMP, community members and her employer.
NWT RCMP told Cabin Radio its investigation into Gilbert’s death remains open.
Police encouraged anyone with information related to the case to contact the Fort Providence detachment at 867-669-1111.
