Police investigating homicides in Mayo, YT: speaking notes from media availability on March 12, 2023

March 13, 2023
Whitehorse, Yukon

Statement

Thank you for joining me here today on this chilly March day in the territory. My name is Lindsay Ellis and I am the Criminal Operations Officer for the Yukon RCMP's "M" Division here in the Yukon. I am here today to provide an update on the investigation into the double homicide reported yesterday, March 11, in Mayo, Yukon.

Mayo RCMP and the Yukon RCMP Major Crime Unit are continuing to investigate the homicides of two people in the community of Mayo. We continue to believe that there is no immediate danger to the public at this time.

On March 11, 2023, at approximately 9:13am, a member of the public reported this incident to police. Mayo RCMP attended the initial call and notified the Yukon RCMP Major Crime Unit, who travelled to Mayo to take carriage of the investigation. Yukon RCMP Forensic Identification Services and Yukon Coroner's Service are also actively participating in the investigation.

Police can now identify the two deceased people.

They are Ben Symington, age 35, of Whitehorse, and Michael Bennett, age 22, of Whitehorse.

The families of Mr. Symington and Mr. Bennett have been notified of their deaths by police. Yukon RCMP shares our condolences to their families and loved ones.

The principal scene for the police investigation is a main roadway in the C-6 Subdivision, on the land of the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, in Mayo. Based on information provided to the investigators, we believe the incident initially occurred shortly after five am on March 11, as multiple witnesses have reported hearing gunfire around that time. Police were first notified of this incident upon receiving the call at 9:13 am. At this time we can confirm both men were shot, however the type and style of the firearm is still under investigation.

The crime scene includes a vehicle, which we can now share is a blue 2010 Ford Escape.

The Major Crime Unit investigators and the RCMP detachment in Mayo have appreciated cooperation from the public during this investigation so far. At this point, we would like to extend a further appeal to witnesses and the public for the following:

  • Anyone who interacted with either Ben Symington and/or Michael Bennett over the past week, since March 4. We believe they have been in the central Yukon area since that time, and want to speak with those they have interacted with, regardless of the reason for the interaction.
  • Anyone who saw this vehicle, the blue 2010 Ford Escape, in Mayo the evening of March 10, and morning of March 11. The vehicle is currently in police custody, so we are not seeking information on its current location.
  • Anyone who saw any other suspicious person, vehicle, activity in Mayo around the time of the event – five am on March 11.

As well, anyone in the town of Mayo, including the C-6 Subdivision, and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun, who have exterior video surveillance at their homes/businesses, or doorbell cameras, are asked to please contact the police.

A crime of this significance in a small community such as Mayo will have a substantial impact on the community. We want to emphasize that we do continue to believe that there is no immediate danger to the public related to these homicides. We are aware of the impact of the substance use emergency on the community of Mayo, as with other Yukon communities, and are active with our partners in supporting community safety. All avenues of investigation are being pursued. As we work on gathering physical evidence, processing and analyzing the information we can learn from exhibits at the scene, we also want to emphasize the importance of witnesses coming forward to share any information about Mr. Symington and Mr. Bennett. Sometimes, even information that may seem insignificant can be an important factor in a police investigation.

Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Yukon RCMP Major Crime Unit at 867-667-5555 in Whitehorse, at 867-996-5555 if calling from Mayo, or with the local prefix if calling from another community.

The road and subdivision has reopened. Again, Yukon RCMP shares our condolences to the families and loved ones of Ben Symington and Michael Bennett, and the citizens of Mayo and the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun as the community deals with the impact of this incident.

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Contact information

Yukon RCMP - Media Relations
867-633-9330
mdiv.communications@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

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