Teens face 1st degree murder charges in First Nations double homicide

MONTREAL — Prosecutors say two teens apprehended last week in connection with a double homicide in a First Nations community in northern Quebec are facing first-degree murder charges.

A spokeswoman for the Crown says the 17-year-old boys, who can’t be named because they are minors, were charged each with two counts of premeditated murder over the weekend and are due back in court today.

The two male victims, 30-year-old Bedabin Neeposh and 29-year-old Daniel Benac, died after being found in a bullet-riddled car last Wednesday night in the First Nations community about 600 kilometres northwest of Quebec City.

The teens were arrested by a tactical unit Friday in the community of Mistissini, a Cree community in northern Quebec.

Provincial police have said the fatal shooting was likely linked to organized crime and possibly a settling of accounts.

The killings of the two local men badly shook the Cree Nation of Mistissini, with the community briefly under a lockdown order on Thursday morning.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2026.